The Closet
by SwanMillsFiction
Summary: Regina has been keeping her special friendship with Maleficent a secret for weeks until a certain sheriff comes to find out in the most unexpected way and it makes her question her own relationship with the mayor. Dragon Queen and Swan Queen tension. This was at first going to delve inside an OT3 with DSQ but I decided to leave it to Dragon Queen.
1. Hands in the Cookie Jar

_Note: This was meant to be a humorous one-shot but it grew much longer and deeper than expected. This is timed to be post "Queens of Darkness." Lily was reunited with her mother, Marian was always Marian – no Zelena twist so they never bring Hood back to Storybrooke.  
__This story is focused on Maleficent, Regina, Lily and Emma._

* * *

**Hands in the Cookie Jar**

* * *

Regina suddenly felt hands come from behind and pull her into a warm body. She had been walking down the hallway to a council meeting but now she was suddenly inside a utility closet with a _stranger._

"What do y—" A hand covered Regina's mouth before she raised her voice.

"Shhh…" someone whispered behind her ear and placed a gentle kiss on her nape.

"Maleficent..." Regina gasped against the hand that was slowly leaving her mouth.

"I'm glad you still recognize my lips," Maleficent smiled as she loosened her grip and the brunette turned around slowly inside her embrace. "I'm here to relieve your stress, dear. Or rather, _pique_ it," she said sensually.

Regina swallowed nervously but her body had a different desire than what her mind was telling her. _Council meeting in twenty minutes…_ but the tingling sensation in between her legs urged her to stay.

"I have a meeting…" Regina said reluctantly, "and this is no place for _—Mmh,_" her reasoning was cut by a soft moan when she felt long fingers slide up her sides, riding up her skirt, and a thigh pressed against her core.

"No place for what?" Maleficent asked innocently as she looked into Regina's half-open eyes, head tilted slightly back. "For helping the Queen of this quaint village relax before attending a boring assemblage that will last dreadful hours, hmm? I think you will feel even sharper after I'm done with you, Regina," the blonde said as she moved her leg to rub back and forth against Regina's lace covered sex and a warm tongue licked the soft skin of Regina's throat while waiting for a response.

"Mmm… Mal. The conference room is not far from here, if anyone hears us—"

"You never minded the danger of getting caught before," Maleficent teased. "What makes it different here?" She asked as she leaned closer to kiss her, but stopped just a mere distance before their lips met when they heard a voice echo in the hallway, coming closer to the door of their little hideaway.

_"I can't find Regina."_

It was Emma.

_"Should I call her? She's usually half an hour early for these things."_

Regina felt a cold chill travel down her spine, and a punch of guilt. Guilt? **No.** She shouldn't feel guilty for enjoying her secret relationship with Maleficent. Emma had guyliner and Robin was history; a big mistake she committed because she trusted a dumb fairy and her idiotic pixie-dust.

"I don't think disturbing the mayor when it's still twenty minutes until the meeting is a good idea, sheriff Swan. Besides, that's kind of like _my_ job," The ginger said as she pointed at her name tag. _Leslie._ "I'm her secretary, remember?"

"Right. I keep forgetting you came in the last curse. Sorry," Emma looked for a last moment at the name in her phone — Regina — and shoved her phone back inside her pocket and exhaled somewhat angrily.

"We'll call her when it's five before the meeting, okay?" Leslie said kindly and offered a smile.

"Fine," Emma sounded petulant.

The voices soon disappeared down the corridor, as did the sound of heels and boots in the distance.

"I suppose we have fifteen minutes, dear," Regina raised a playful eyebrow and pulled Maleficent closer. "Make them worth it."

"With pleasure," Maleficent grinned and claimed plum lips with red in a hungry kiss.

Magic in moments like this was a very handy thing and Maleficent clasped her fingers to make Regina's purple silk blouse become unbuttoned, making her perfect breasts more available for the dragon sorceress. The only barrier between soft flesh and her hands was the delicate black lace from Regina's bra.

Maleficent's hands were all over Regina's body when the door suddenly broke open.

"Oh my God!" Emma was baffled. She was holding her phone in one hand and her pistol in the other. She'd magiced her way back to go unnoticed.

"What the hell Emma?!" Regina groaned as she desperately tried to cover her chest with her arms.

"I was worried about you! But, clearly, you couldn't have been in _better hands,_" the sheriff responded angrily.

"You tracked me down with that thing?" Regina was conflicted. She was part angry and part moved Emma had come to the rescue… _even when there was no rescuing needed._

"Let me know when you're done with your lovers' quarrel so I can resume my task," Maleficent said to both of them as she graciously picked her own coat from over a pile of dusty boxes. "You're right my sweet pupil, this really is no place for a — what do you call it here, quickie?" She said as she patted her coat to remove some dirt.

"I'd come here to please the Queen but now we're out of time," Maleficent shook her head at Emma. "Perhaps another time?" She bit her bottom lip as she looked at Regina.

"Woah! Just… wow. I'm out of here," Emma muttered and exhaled heavily, eyes burning hot as though she would cry from anger.

"Or you could stay and join," Maleficent said naturally and took the other blonde by surprise.

"What?" Emma wasn't sure she heard right.

"NO!" Regina quickly said after. "She's not. Our relationship-Mal," Regina stuttered.

"Oh, please, Regina. It's not like we haven't done it before. You know I'm not jealous and the Savior looks quite… appetizing," she took an appreciative look at Emma.

Emma felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She was both embarrassed but at the same time -_\- was she jealous?_ No. Angry. Disappointed._ Shame on you Regina!_

She avoided looking in Regina's direction until the brunette finished buttoning up her blouse and then just stood there like the idiot she felt; hands on hips and a perpetual frown adorned her brow.

"In any case you let me know, dear," Maleficent went forward and lifted Regina's chin gently with her index finger. She pressed her lips against hers in a soft kiss and side glanced Emma. "You just have to summon me. _Any time,_" she winked at the blonde, and in a swirl of black smoke Maleficent was gone.

"Great. Now I'll have to deal with a petulant child and a frustrated climax," Regina grumbled as she walked to the door, but a hand caught grasp of her arm and stopped her before leaving.

"How long?" Emma asked, but Regina was slightly confused and gave her a _'the hell do you mean, swan'_ look. "How long have you been together?"

"Does it matter, Miss Swan?" Regina responded coldly. "Would it change anything? Because last time I checked we were only friends, you and I."

"You said the same about Maleficent but you're obviously not_ just _friends. Not like _we _are." Emma muttered.

Regina turned to look at Emma with curiosity and tried to read her expression. _What was she not telling her? Why was she so upset?_

"Does it bother you that my friendship with Maleficent comes with extended rights?" Regina asked blatantly to test her.

"Of course it does! Up until now I didn't know you liked women, too!" Emma let it out before stopping to think. "And it's called benefits"

"Like I care. Unless... are you trying to tell me something,_ sheriff?_" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Damn it, woman," Emma grumbled. "I… I like you!"

"Emma…" Regina said her name softly. "This would never work," she pointed to the space between them. "There's too much baggage in between our families. Oh, and a one-handed pirate whom you find so exciting only the heavens know why."

"I don't really. Look, he's just a _beard. _I was afraid..." Emma took her hand in hers. "Say the word and I'll leave him for you," she looked at Regina with big, bright eyes.

"No. I don't want you to leave anyone for me. If you're going to leave him do it for yourself, not for anybody else. I don't need that responsibility."

"But, Regina…" Emma looked like a beaten puppy.

"Now, if you would excuse me, I've a meeting to attend. Actually, _we_ both do."

Emma let go of Regina's hand, looked around her and then watched the mayor walk away.

"But Regina!" Emma yelled behind her and caught up with her, "Please wait. At least let me give you–"

"I said NO. You're not going to be my _friend with benefits_ just because we're both bisexual," Regina said firmly, and in the near-silence, they heard the unison gasp of the people inside the conference room, right behind them.

"I didn't just yell that, did I?" Regina looked at Emma with horror. So much hanging out with the_ charming_ savior had rubbed onto her.

"You kinda did… And I just wanted to give you this," Emma blushed as she put something in Regina's hands. People were still staring at them through the windows and open door to the conference room. "You left it in the closet…"

Regina looked at the balled object in her hands and then at her chest and blushed when she could see her perky nipples poking under the thin fabric layer of her elegant blouse. She had forgotten her bra. _When did Maleficent even remove it? That sneaky bitch._

"Ahem," David cleared his throat. "Will the mayor be opening the assembly or would she like to re-schedule," he glared at Regina and looked at Emma with disappointment before shaking his head, hands on his hips.

"I'm pretty sure you can have it without me. If you excuse me, I've other more _pressing_ businesses to attend," Regina turned on her heel with elegance and strutted away, bra still in her hand- all poise and posture.

"Ugh… Now that I think about it, I've some–" Emma got interrupted.

"No, you don't. Come inside, Emma. We'll discuss this later," Mary Margaret ordered.

"Shit."


	2. Roses and Thorns

_Note: We'll have the first glimpses at what was Maleficent and Regina's relationship in the past._  
_At this point there is no plot yet, I'm honest. Let's see where this takes us, fellas. lol_

* * *

**Roses and Thorns**

* * *

After the embarrassment that was her and Emma's public _coming out_, Regina decided to flee the scene with the "poise and composure of a Queen," saying she had other businesses to attend. _Okay. _She _did _have an unresolved task to take care of after Emma frustrated her small escapade with Maleficent in the closet at the Town Hall and her rush and lust had been heightened after getting caught with the hands in the cookie jar.

Well, it was Maleficent's hands in her blouse but still.

Regina drove back home and walked up the stairs that lead to the bedrooms. She locked herself in hers even though she knew the house empty and began stripping off her formal attire. Her black pencil skirt pooled under her feet, then her blouse joined it on the floor, black lace panties dropped, too, and her bra… it still was inside her purse.

Regina lay naked in bed and began touching her body, which was still sensitive and responsive after the previous care it experienced._ But it wasn't the same. _She let out a deep sigh and brown eyes then turned to the window to see the bright blue sky, and noticed a dragonfly flying close and then watched it leave.

"That's it," she muttered, "I'm calling Maleficent."

It had been weeks since her adventure with Maleficent, Cruella and Ursula that night the "Queens of Darkness" tested her_ level of commitment_ and Regina hadn't had any _fun_ — at least not with _help_ — since that time because of the search for the author and all the nightmare that was now finally behind them.

Maleficent's sudden appearance in the Town Hall had really taken her by surprise. Her beloved_ old friend _had been spending all her time with Lily since their heart-warming reunion and hadn't made public appearances after that day. Lily she had seen in the small market buying groceries for her and her mother to take home to a nice house in Regina's same vicinity, in a residence Regina and Belle made available for them. It had been one of the many possessions Mrs. Gold inherited after Rumplestiltskin's banishment, and to which Regina insisted on paying for as it was_ "the least I could do after everything that's happened between us." _It was for both making it up to Belle somehow as well as Maleficent for their imprisonment. Regina was a complex woman but she had come a long way and she was truly sorry.

When the mayor gifted them the manor in the same vicinity Lily looked at Regina and then at her mother like _''I'm not five. I can tell you two have been shagging since before I was even born," _but decided to keep her thoughts to herself as she was still letting everything sink in.

She wasn't an orphan. She was never abandoned by choice but forced by circumstances and her grudge was entirely directed at the _un-Charming_. It was incredible the lengths these so called "heroes" had gone to make sure their daughter turned out _good. How ironic..._

Lily wanted to hate Emma, but couldn't. Unlike with her, her _dimwit _parents had abandoned Emma _by choice,_ to make her "the Savior," and Lily couldn't help but feel bad for her old friend and first lo- crush. Out of the two of them, Emma had had it worse — if she was honest with herself. They'd done the same to their own daughter as they did to her: forced her to grow up an orphan. At least Lily had been adopted, but she never felt home.

_Karma's a bitch, _she thought. And it sucked that it had hit their generation instead of their parents', who had been the real jerks to each other.

Emma sometimes struggled because of that painful truth, but she was also grateful to having found her parents at last, and for having gotten a second chance at motherhood with her son. She couldn't and didn't want to continue punishing her parents for their mistakes in the past, it was way too draining and did nothing good for anybody. They had a smaller picture of everything,and it was part to blame on their fairytale upbringing, as their stories had been written with not much grey in between their black and white.

Emma had grown in this merciless but more colorful world that offered you vast choices, and she understood their lack of perspective. She tried to be more patient, though sometimes — many — she would _mentally _be on par with Regina when she threw sass at them for not being_ '"the brightest crayons from the box," _but she had to side with her parents and scold the other woman so not to set a bad example to their son.

_Or was it to hide her little—big—crush on his other mother?_

_Wait. What?_

Emma couldn't concentrate during the meeting as all that occupied her mind were...

"Boobs," the blonde responded to her mother's question and everyone had to fight the urge to laugh at the Sheriff.

"—Bob's," Emma corrected immediately. "We will use Bob's towing truck to remove the tree that fell near the troll bridge." The poor thing tried to keep a stern face, but truthfully she wanted the earth to crack open and swallow her whole. This would be the most dreadful meeting she ever had to endure.

_What could Regina be doing right now? _Her mind drifted off again. _What if she's meeting with Maleficent, resuming their secret encounter? _

Emma's brow furrowed deeper and her hand turned into a fist over the desk. David placed his hand atop hers to gently cover it and offered her a small smile before raising the other to ask for a break— to give _his_ daughter a break.

It wasn't even an hour into the assembly and Mary Margaret blinked eyes in confusion, but everyone else agreed quickly because it was truly an awkward situation and no one felt focused or even comfortable in the enclosed space they were forced to share with a pissed Snow White, an anxious Emma, and a very puzzled David.

"Small break, Mayor? Ten minutes before resuming," Leslie said before Snow would reply, to which Snow simply nodded in her confusion.

As fast as they could, everyone went outside to get some coffee and cookies, before their new Mayor would change mind. An angry Snow White could be just if not more frightening as Regina Mills was.

Emma looked at her father and he understood what she wanted. He let go of her hand and Emma stormed out of the Town Hall.

"David, where is Emma going?" Mary Margaret came to ask her husband.

"Not sure, but I may have a good guess," he responded.

"I hope you're wrong," she brought her hand to her forehead and sighed. "I will call Ashley to ask how's our baby doing."

* * *

In the Mills manor.

Regina went to her vanity and opened a small wooden box from where she retrieved an emerald sphere and put it over a three-legged stand to support it. She waved her hands over the magical crystal and intoned the name of the dragon sorceress three times to summon her.

"Maleficent. Maleficent. Maleficent." Even saying the name gave her chills.

It had always made her excited to be in Maleficent's presence; _being with her_ gave her an even bigger rush. No matter how long they had known each other or played their sex games, it still sent shivers down her body in anticipation as though it were a novelty.

"Regina. I'm with Lily this moment teaching her how to fly," Maleficent's voice resonated in the ball and when no other answer than a strained sigh came from Regina's end, the dragon sorceress spoke again. "But I _will_ makeyoureach the sky some time later in the night, dear. You have my word," the other woman responded and the crystal stopped glowing.

"Argh!" Regina grumbled and tightened her jaw.

Too many years of getting what she wanted the moment she demanded it, had spoiled the queen and she really didn't like waiting or getting denied her sweet treats.

(((DING DONG))) The sound of the doorbell made her flinch; her mood worsened.

_Who dare disturb the peace in her home? _She wondered, but decided to ignore it. She wasn't in the mood for visitors or salespersons.

Next, her cellphone began vibrating inside her purse but she didn't hear the buzz, she'd forgotten she put it on silent mode for the meeting and it sent the caller to voicemail.

_Last attempt._

The phone on her nightstand started ringing and Regina went reluctantly to answer.

_What if it was from Henry's school?_

Not many people had Regina's landline number, but before she could even make a greeting Emma's voice was already coming through the speaker.

"I know you're in there, I can see your car in the garage. May I, _please_, have a word with you?"

"You can't seem to help yourself, Ms. Swan. Go ahead," Regina waited.

"In person?"

"Whatever you have to say I'm sure you can say it here," Regina told her.

"Really?" Emma rolled her eyes. "You know this isn't something we can just talk over the phone... _Unless_ you have other reasons to not _let me in_," Emma made a pause and it sent a deeper message she hoped Regina wouldn't pick on it. Or at least would pretend not to.

Regina twitched her lips and took a moment to answer, but she knew Emma Swan was more stubborn than a bull and it would be futile to keep bickering over the phone.

The beeping sound of an ended call then made Emma roll her eyes further and kick and invisible rock at the foot of Regina's porch while waiting for the mayor to hopefully open.

The door only opened partially and Emma's jaw dropped a little—a lot—when her eyes met the view of Regina's body covered only by a thin, silvery silk robe that didn't do much to mask the nudity underneath, and the messiness of Regina's hair suggested she'd been _busy._

The blonde had to swallow hard to clear her throat and now it was her who felt like getting moody.

"You said you wanted to speak," Regina's voice was slightly raspy and it made Emma's senses tingle, but also revived the jealousy she felt earlier— _no, it was disappointment, not jealousy._

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should've known you'd be…_ busy,_" Emma looked downcast. "We can talk later when you're in the office," Emma looked around her, still evading Regina's gaze, who found her rather amusing this moment. "That's assuming you will be back," Emma said nervously. "Will you?" She asked with too much interest.

Regina took a step outside, closer, and looked at her manicured hands, contemplating if her nails needed retouching, as if her current unkept presentation was the most ordinary sight to behold, and made the younger woman all the more nervous and uneasy.

"I'm not... completely sure," Regina answered and observed Emma closely. "I'm still not quite finished here thanks to someone who keeps frustrating my _private... affairs,_" she said the last part in a very sensual tone. Regina was deliberately teasing her.

Emma's lips parted lightly in bewilderment. She was about to reproach but at the same time, how could she? This wasn't a normal conversation or situation between them, it was quite something new, intriguing, and arousing. _Fuck me. whoa whoa?_

"I guess I'll let you get back to her," the blonde muttered under her breath. She turned on her heel, but before she got far, Regina's voice stopped her.

"Her? Who said I had any company? I can take good care of myself, _Miss Swan._"

Emma's pupils widened, she froze on her spot and slowly turned around to look at Regina with a puzzled puppy look.

"So… you do have time to talk?" Emma's voice was shaky. She licked her lips nervously, like she often did when in presence of her.

"I might make some time for you. But not if it is to argue," Regina responded as she opened her door fully and walked inside. "Would you still like to _come _inside with _me_?" She raised a suggestive eyebrow.

_Fuck. Damn that eyebrow game, and those words, _Emma internally groaned. With that husky voice it sounded like one hell of an invitation and Emma wasn't sure of the implications in Regina's sudden change of attitude, but, _God did she want come inside her—with her. __Inside her home__. Shit. Shit. Shit._

Emma followed behind Regina like a lost puppy that found its master—mistress—and her heart skipped a beat when the door closed behind her with a loud thud— _magic._

She watched Regina climb the staircase and waited at the foot, unsure if she was expected to follow or to stay put.

"So…" Emma said tentatively.

"I'll be down in a moment, sheriff. Be patient," Regina said calmly. But if she were honest, the one who needed patience this moment was _Regina,_ as she really felt tempted to take Emma's earlier offer and allow herself a _slip_ with the savior this moment. She was hot and bothered and could fuck Emma right there on the stairs, but her pride was stronger and she was more refined than that. _Not really. _She did like it rough and dirty from time to time.

_No. No. No. Regina_ reminded herself Emma was officially taken by that disgusting pirate and she wouldn't be second dish to anyone again. _She was a Queen and more refined _to commit the same mistake _twice._ Emma might not be married but still she had _someone._

After some minutes, Regina finally joined Emma in the living room, already dressed up and with presentable hair and Emma couldn't hide the deception in her face. She really, really liked how the grey silk robe fell over the mayor's body and allowed her a glimpse at those pointy nipples that were now once again hidden inside black lace and purple silk.

"Maybe we can talk once you're finished gawking at my body," Regina said formally but Emma could notice the corner of her lips _almost_ turning into a smirk.

Emma gave her a glare and proceeded to speak.

"I shouldn't have tracked you with the app. For that, I apologize," Emma started, and watched Regina fold her arms over her chest and twitch her lip.

"Continue," The brunette told her.

"I'm also sorry I snapped at you. I had no right," Emma licked her lips again. Her mouth felt very dry and her hands slowly turned into fists, out of stress, or anger, as she relived the scene in her mind. "But, really? Are you out of your fucking mind?! What if someone else had found you and they told our son and—" Emma's verbal diarrhea didn't take too long to show up.

"Stop right there, Swan," Regina lifted her index finger in protest. "What I do in my spare time is none of yours or anyone's concern but my own," she was sharp.

"But that—" Emma tried to interrupt.

"IF such a thing had happened, I could've easily erased their memories and carried on with my day as though nothing happened. But now, thanks to you, I can't. And whatever Henry learns from this incident is entirely your fault," Regina was furious.

"WHAT?" Emma groaned.

"Yes! Like you said, you shouldn't have tracked me down with that gadget. You had no right. I'm not your property and never will be!"

"Hold on now! I don't see you as _property._ That's not— You know I've also got Henry under my radar given our family's history, so forgive me if I worry and overreact when it comes to protecting MY family!" Emma was loud and had come so close she was now invading Regina's space like she used to do when they were _frenemies_. "I was just trying to protect you! You've been abducted and tortured before and I couldn't let it happen again."

Regina was furious, but hearing the words _"protect_ m_y family'" _come from Emma's mouth so earnest touched her, and couldn't react immediately like she would've wanted. In fact, she couldn't come at all with remark or something hurtful to throw Emma's way. It was so big her desire for a sense of belonging that she just stood there, bracing herself as her voice menaced with breaking if she opened her mouth to speak. Emma had just said all she wanted was to protect her, that she was her family, but the blonde didn't even notice the bomb she'd just dropped.

"I don't even know why I bother," Emma exhaled heavily and looked downcast.

"Why bother, indeed," Regina threw back. "I'm not worth the Savior's alms."

"You're unbelievable, Regina," Emma said with hurt.

"Goodbye, Ms. Swan," Regina walked to the door and opened it.

Emma stomped angrily to the door, but turned for a last time to look at Regina.

"Is that what you think of me? Of my…" she made a pause.

Regina looked at her, heart beating fast, waiting to hear the words she needed so much to come out of that mouth.

"… whatever. Doesn't matter," Emma muttered and left as fast as her feet would take her away from that house and that woman who was so infuriating and yet so magnetic.

The roaring of the bug's engine was the last thing Regina heard, and she felt... deflated.

_Why did everything turn upside-down when it was about her and Emma— about anyone she wanted?_

_Such a complicated duo they were,_ she couldn't stop thinking and regretted having rejected Emma when she offered to leave Hook for her. But Regina reminded herself that she would be no second option to anyone again, and definitely not a "safe."

If Emma could ditch Hook just like that on a whim, she might as well do the same to _her_ if a 'new' option became available for the sheriff and Regina wouldn't be able to recover from such a heartbr— _Offense._

Emma didn't bother showing up again at the Town Hall, but everyone had figured she wouldn't be coming back after the embarrassing event. Instead, she went on patrol around town, to get distracted and hopefully find someone doing something illegal so she could release some of her tension in a car persecution or chasing them in the woods, or whatever. She welcomed _anything _Storybrooke could offer her this moment. But much to her disappointment, the town was peaceful.

_Really? _Emma wasn't pleased about that for the first time.

She kept driving until it was time to pick up Henry from school and went to get him and delivered him in Regina's doorstep, as she had been doing in the last couple of months.

Regina and Emma only exchanged a reserved look, Henry noticed the tension instantly. He looked at the table and noticed there were only two sets of plates, and turned around to see his blonde mother.

"I guess you're not staying for dinner," he commented and hugged her.

"No, kid. I've work at the station that needs revision," she said in her most calm, _fake,_ tone and Regina rolled her eyes this time.

"I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night, ma."

He went inside. He was older now and knew it wasn't anything to do with him, unlike in the past, and went upstairs to leave his backpack before coming down for dinner.

Emma was walking away when Regina spoke to her.

"No," she said and Emma turned to look at her with confusion. "That's not what I think of you," she took a deep breath. "Look. I know you care," she struggled to say it, "and I'm sorry too."

"Wow. That must have tasted like vitriol, didn't it, Madam Mayor?" Emma blurted.

"_Miss Swan…"_ Regina's hands went to her stomach as she looked at the blonde; a gesture Emma had learned by now meant Regina felt anxious and possibly hurt, and she regretted her comment that moment. "I'm trying to apologize here, why must you make everything so damn hard for me?"

"You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you… I just. You have to understand I may have been hurt, too," Emma said with honesty and they looked into each other's eyes for a moment that may have lasted longer than intended, until they heard Henry's footsteps behind.

"I should probably…" Emma awkwardly shook her head.

"Yes, of course," Regina completed for Emma.

"Good night. Well, almost," Emma offered a cute, nervous smile as she pointed at the setting sun.

Regina felt her heart melt a little. Just a little.

"Good night, _Emma_," Regina responded, and it made Emma feel happy to hear her name in Regina's voice again. No more _Miss Swan;_ it kind of irritated her because it was too formal and reminded her of when they were enemies.

Emma blinked eyes innocently and Regina didn't stop her lips from turning into a smile because it was a smile Emma couldn't see as she was now walking to her _very bright yellow_ bug.

_Bold choice, just like you, Emma._

* * *

It was midnight and Regina couldn't fall asleep. She kept turning in bed, struggling to find her _'place',_ when she was suddenly summoned to Maleficent's presence. A black smoke engulfed her and when she opened her eyes again she was in Maleficent's bed; wrists fastened to the wrought iron headboard and Maleficent was looking at her body with a gleam in her eyes that could only be found in wild predators while looking at their prey. It was both frightening and arousing.

"Mal… is this place safe?" Regina was hesitant.

This would be her second time with the dragon _in this land_ and she felt nervous to be in her territory.

"Relax, dear. Lily is having her own 'ladies night out,' and said she wouldn't be coming home tonight," The blonde answered as she crawled on bed, over Regina.

"Oh. Like mother, like daughter," Regina lifted an eyebrow.

"Indeed," Maleficent grinned proudly and her eyes scanned Regina's body leisurely. "Are you still in the mood or should I go find someone else?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Quite the charmer, aren't you?" Regina exhaled angrily.

"I prefer straight-forward," Maleficent responded neutrally. "But this should be no news to you, Regina. Unless…"

Maleficent leaned over her, cupped her face in a hand and looked into her eyes. "Hmm… You've changed. I had already noticed, but I could still see some of that spark of anger, now almost completely gone. And there's something else…" Her electric blue stare pierced through the brown gaze.

Regina felt nude under the studying stare.

"Have I lost you forever, my little Queen?" Maleficent's voice turned just as tender as her eyes were this moment and Regina felt heart squeeze inside her at the question.

Maleficent rarely showed care. She was very selective of her displays of emotion and this one was of genuine concern, hurt, and Regina had always wanted to know for real if her mentor had ever cared for her _just a little_ more than what their power games allowed them to display behind their "evil" façades.

"No," Regina answered softly, but Maleficent still had her doubts and blue eyes didn't stop looking into brown in search for answers. "I'm here, aren't I?" Regina assured her.

Maleficent returned a small smile and made the chains holding Regina's hands to the headboard vanish. "Not by choice," the older woman told her. "I can't play with you like this. Not when it feels… wrong. This world is different. Confusing."

"So don't. Don't _play _with me..._ Be_ with me," Regina said warmly. Her own emotions were a mix stirring in her stomach in a messy flutter.

Regina cupped Maleficent's face this time and brought her closer and blue eyes glanced down at lips that looked very inviting, but turned back to gaze into dark brown, seeking permission.

"Kiss me," Regina asked her.

Regina needed to know, to feel, if she meant_ something_ to_ someone. _But not just anyone. To someone who'd seen her in her worst and still never rejected her. Someone who understood the complexity of her darkness.

Plump, ruby lips went to meet with rosy in a soft kiss, and moved together in perfect synch, slowly growing in pace and desire as hands began exploring each other's body, this time more calmly, but it was much more rewarding.

Regina's sexual encounters up until this moment had always been forced, rushed or desperate to happen. But this time felt differently; there was no fear, no danger, no anxiety, and no regret. Instead, there was simple desire, genuine care, and the small yet huge wish to feel loved without the guilt of betraying another.

Regina held on tightly to Maleficent's back as she rocked her body slowly over hers and the older woman stopped kissing her neck to move and lock eyes with Regina again.

"Is everything alright, my sweet floret?" Maleficent asked with concern.

"Yes," Regina responded.

"You forget, Regina, that I know you better than you know yourself," Maleficent told her, moved to lie on her side and caressed Regina's arm gently.

"I just… I've always wanted to know how you feel about me," Regina finally confessed. "What am I to you?"

"Direct question, I appreciate it. Although, I may be curious as to why it had never mattered before but it does now?"

"I asked first," Regina insisted.

"You're special to me, Regina. I enjoy your company above most humans," Maleficent said naturally.

"Is that supposed to be romantic?" Regina let out a chuckle.

"It's meant to be honest," Maleficent gently moved a brown curl away from Regina's face and tucked it behind her ear.

Regina's eyes turned glassy. She sat up and tried to leave bed, but Maleficent put a hand over hers and let her thumb gently stroke it, making Regina turn to meet her eyes again.

"It hurt, you know. To see all of your light be drowned by darkness. And then you came to me, threatened me in my own home—the one place that had been a haven for you to run to whenever _he _touched you against your desire... I offered you shelter and the only thing I got in return was your anger. Anger that wasn't even for me, so I was patient. But then you threatened the only thing I had left that could return some of the love I invested. I couldn't let you continue having it your way," Maleficent said openly, "I've killed for much less."

"You mean your pet? You're still angry at me over a dwarf unicorn I didn't even touch?"

"See, that's the problem with humans. You only choose to listen to parts of a conversation, not to everything that is said," Maleficent muttered.

Regina glared at her.

"You do remember Briar, right? My rose," Maleficent asked her and Regina felt her stomach churn.

"That woman you were _obsessed_ with, of course," Regina was annoyed.

"_Obsessed…_ Funny choice of word to describe the darkest chapter of my existence, but yes. I guess it is accurate."

"What about her? We're talking about us. Why must her shadow always loom above me?" Regina's eyes let bitter tears fall.

"You scorn a woman you never met, and believe I'm still _obsessed_ with the memory of her. You're wrong," Maleficent went to sit beside Regina. "My feelings for her fell as loose petals, one by one until there were no more tears to cry. And when I was finally free, I was able to see you and the light that shone inside you, and it was brighter than what any rose could ever compete with, my sunshine. But you let _him_ dim it."

Regina turned around to meet Maleficent's gaze, and was having a hard moment understanding what she was telling her.

"Regina, I begged you not to cast that curse. I warned you it would leave an emptiness inside you; a void you would never be able to fill. But the whole truth is that I feared I would be losing _you_ forever and it was my own emptiness what I didn't want facing again, but you made me, _cursed me,_ to live trapped underground for thirty years and I lost my daughter. You punished me for trying to protect the last spark of light I could still see shining inside your heart. I cared about you but you never gave me a chance."

"Because if I had, I would've had to rip out your heart!" Regina yelled. "I couldn't. And I didn't know you had a child. Why didn't you tell me, if we were so close and I was so special to you? I would have found her for you in this world much earlier and let you be together."

"I didn't know I was pregnant the last time I saw you, and you never came back after that day. But be honest. You wouldn't have sought her. You're not big on forgiveness," Maleficent argued, "even when I did nothing to wrong you—quite the contrary."

"Mal…" Regina inhaled deeply. "You're right… and I'm sorry. I didn't give you a chance and now is too late," Regina cried inside her hands. "Love isn't something that was made for me."

Maleficent gently removed Regina's hands from her face so she could see her eyes again.

"It never is too late for someone who is open to love again," the dragon said softly.

"What? You're… giving me a chance?" Regina was surprised.

"Well, you know when I care about someone, I _obsess_ over them," Maleficent cupped her face in her hands and smiled. "But I ask for one thing in return," she told her.

"What?" Regina was a little bit confused.

"Honesty. That's all I ask for. I won't ask you for commitment because there are times people need to breathe fresh air," Maleficent smiled at her confused face.

"I know you fancy the savior and I'm not going to leash you. Do as you may, as long as it's me who you return to at the end of the day," the mature woman told her.

"What? I don't—" Regina was interrupted.

"Please. I know your type: blonde, fit, bold, untamable," Maleficent's voice was oddly playful, "just like me," she smirked with pride. "Don't deny it."

"I… I won't deny I may have been attracted to women who reminded me of you," Regina admitted. "But if I could have _you_, I would need nobody else."

"Hmm. Let's not give it so much thought for now, Regina," Maleficent ran her long fingers through brown tresses. "Enjoy the moment, for you never know if it shall repeat tomorrow, in a month or three decades later."

Regina felt bad for having done that to Maleficent, but time didn't mean as much to a dragon as it did to a human and Maleficent went forward to kiss Regina's lips tenderly.

"Stop thinking, and start _feeling,_" the older woman whispered.

Her lips trapped Regina's earlobe and pressed it gently as delicate hands moved down to tug at the skirt of Regina's nightgown. "May I?"

"Yes. Yes, _please,"_ Regina pleaded. She stood up and slowly straddled Maleficent's lap, face to face.

Maleficent's hands pulled up the gossamer fabric and freed Regina's body from its delicate cover. Blue eyes then took a long time drinking in the image of her nudity, and Regina could feel her cheeks turning rosy in self-awareness and averted her eyes coyly.

"There she is. That coy girl who showed up at my door once long ago. Same smile and same glimmer in those hypnotic eyes of yours from when I had you for the first time, my dear apprentice."

"You remember?" Regina chuckled nervously as her arms surrounded Maleficent's neck for balance.

"Every moment spent together, my dear," Maleficent caressed Regina's back gently.

"I take back my words; you_ can_ be romantic," Regina couldn't avoid blushing lightly.

"I didn't know romantic was synonymous to honest," Maleficent returned. She squeezed Regina's thighs with her fingers and buried her face in the small curve between neck and shoulder to smell Regina's sweet scent.

"Mmm. I like your new perfume," Maleficent commented. "Much better than that spikenard wrongly believed to draw a dragon toward you, and which you would always wear when coming to my fortress," Maleficent _almost _chuckled at the memory. "I'm starting to think you wanted to bewitch me," she sucked on Regina's pulse point, eliciting a soft moan from the woman atop her.

"I didn't!" Regina growled, but her face was impossibly red. Nobody could make her blush like this woman did so effortlessly.

"Yes you did. That scent would last for days in my nostrils after you left. You smelled of lavender, muskroot, and lemongrass." Maleficent nipped at her skin with her teeth. "And I believe I asked for honesty in this new _deal_ between us, hm?"

"You're impossible," Regina complained between soft moans and groans.

"Just accept the truth. It can't be too hard, is it?" Maleficent slid her tongue down Regina's neck, and licked at her right collarbone.

"I was young… and believed some of the folk tales. Dragons aren't easy to befriend, so nobody really knows what drives them. And I was just… trying to appeal to your senses and 'smell' seemed like a good approach," Regina ran her fingers through long blonde locks. "I had a _thing_ for you and I was not about to ask Rumple for advice…"

"You were always a good study," Maleficent smiled. "It was. Although, you had already won me over with your faith in me and your support. You helped me remember who I was; that's why I'm able to forgive you, my _favorite_ apprentice," Maleficent cupped Regina's breast in her hand and let the tip of her tongue draw a lazy circle around her hardening nipple while holding her stare on Regina's eyes.

"Dragons aren't easy to befriend, but once you've bonded, it's nearly impossible to lose their loyalty," Maleficent said before covering the pinkish bud with her mouth to suckle on Regina's nipple, making her groan in pleasure, and small, delicate hands grabbed fistfuls of blonde hair.

After Briar Rose, Maleficent had kept _romance_ at bay, but her actions tonight were louder than any words, and for the first time Regina experienced what _making love_ must feel like—or it was the _closest_ thing, she thought. But she'd never imagined it would be with the dragon.

"Mal," Regina gasped when the older woman suddenly nipped her skin.

Maleficent snaked a hand down in between warm thighs and let her long fingers stroke Regina's wetness, she then brought them up to ruby lips, opened her mouth and licked the dew off of them, moaning in pleasure as she tasted Regina in her fingers.

"This is the real _honey_ that attracts a dragon, I'll have you know," Maleficent said to her. "And now I must drink it from the hive."

"Straight to the point, as always," Regina chuckled as she went to sit back over fluffy pillows.

"Straight? Arguable," Maleficent showed a toothy grin as she moved to place herself in between Regina's legs.

"Arguable indeed," Regina agreed, groaning lightly at the sensation of a warm tongue making a swipe down and up her dripping center. Her head tilted back, her hands went to grip on the bed sheets, and her chest was heaving from the stimulation she was receiving.

_Damn! This felt so good._

She started panting when slender fingers entered her and her legs began clamping Maleficent inside their embrace when she felt them twist and move more rapidly inside her. The older woman smiled as she suctioned pink flesh and allowed a third finger to complement the others, bringing Regina to the edge of madness until she could hold back no more and climaxed with the dragon.

Maleficent crawled over her to lie beside her, pulled her gently to her body and caressed messy brown tresses, tucking a kinky curl behind Regina's ear. They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment without speaking until Regina went forward to kiss her former mentor sweetly.

She was about to speak when Maleficent prevented her, pressing her index finger against her lips.

"Shh… Just enjoy the moment, my darling."


	3. Freedom

_Note: Things won't be looking out so good for a pirate. Emma centric chapter. Lily still has Emma's darkness, keep that in mind.  
So how are you liking it so far?_

* * *

**Freedom**

* * *

That evening after Emma came back from the mansion, Mary Margaret had asked their daughter to come sit down with them at the table so they could discuss the shocking event of her accidental coming out with Regina, but Emma wasn't in the mood for it and was very blunt and stubborn about the subject.

"So I like women too, big deal. What are you gonna do about it? Ground me? Disown me? Because I'm big enough to take care of myself," Emma was tactless. But it was a wall she was putting up so not to be hurt and her parents could see it. "Wouldn't be the first time I got kicked out, you know..." she muttered under her breath.

"No! Of course not! Emma, we love you. Give us more credit," Mary Margaret scolded.

"Well, you did put me in a _closet_ and shipped me to Maine once. Which is kind of _ironic_, now that I think about it… " Emma kept her hands folded over her chest.

"You're being unfair…" Mary Margaret felt like crying but David soothed her.

"I know we've made many mistakes, Emma, but you're our daughter and we want to show you we love and accept you as you are. But…" He stopped and rubbed at his chin.

"But what? You're gonna cast the gay out of me like you once did my darkness?"

"No! What I meant was to ask: why Regina? It's just… It's not…" He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"She was my step-mother, Emma. And we both heard she told you she didn't want to be your… *ahem* friend with benefits. Maybe you could look at other women instead?" Snow asked her.

"It's very complicated as it is… And uncomfortable for us," David admitted.

"I understand that. I'm sorry for being harsh on you, I just—this was a dreadful day for me for more reasons than I can share with you right now," Emma relaxed a little and finally drank from her cup of tea, but she needed something stronger.

"It's alright, honey. We just want you to know we support you. Just… not Regina, please? We don't want you to get hurt."

By the way Mary Margaret said it and looked at her, Emma could tell she knew _something_ and it made her curious.

"Why would she hurt me? I mean IF there even was a chance. Which there isn't,_"_ Emma said the last part with disappointment.

"There were rumors back in our land that said … Well," David was very uncomfortable talking about other people's privacy.

"Regina had a lover. A lover that would frequent her and fly out her window in the form of a dragon in the middle of the night," Snow told her. "I saw it a couple of times but I thought I was imagining it."

"Maleficent," Emma looked at both of them._ Of course it had to be that dragon._

"Yes, and with her being back, we just-" Mary Margaret took a deep breath, "they have a long history that goes back to even before my father died. I may have been too innocent to know then, but some things fell into place when we saw Regina exchange looks with Maleficent at the diner the day she asked you to bring back Lily. I realized she was the same dragon I saw in what I thought were dreams; Regina kept telling me they had been that."

After sharing that conversation of enlightenment, Emma felt a little—_lot_—more down. Even if her parents had accepted her bisexuality and all they wanted was to protect her—_while secretly thanking the heavens that Regina didn't favor Emma_— she decided she needed a drink, but not a man, so she called her boyfriend to tell him she was dead-tired and wouldn't meet him until the next day.

* * *

Lily had become good friends with Ruby and Belle. She could relate to their stories of _'dancing with the beast', dealing with darkness, _and they were much less prejudiced than the rest of Storybrooke. That and because they were kind of gay for each other and Lily felt more comfortable around _'her people,'_ even if the two girls hadn't realized yet that their lingering gazes could be seen from outer space. _Poor beauty and the beast._

They were in denial, like Emma had always been, who tried to cover it with a smoke screen called _Killian._ _That beard._

They were sitting at one of the small round tables in the Rabbit Hole when the sight of familiar blonde curls and a red jacket caught their attention. But what really surprised Lily was to see Emma had come without her _pet,_ Hook, whom the young dragon called _'Hoochie,'_ as a non-endearment.

They spotted her alone at the bar and asked her to join them and Emma did reluctantly.

She looked really bent out of shape. She was brooding, and Ruby felt her blood simmer inside her and asked Emma if she wanted her to let the Wolf out and scare the shit out of Hook if he had dared hurt her. But Emma just said it wasn't him and took a big gulp from her beer.

_Who could've made Emma look like she had been ran over by a bus?_

Not many had that power of influence, and she had just made-up with her parents; it couldn't—_it better_—not be them, Ruby thought. But then she remembered another person with an even bigger influence in Emma… _Henry?_ No. Emma looked heartbroken, not upset.

"What did Regina do to you?" Ruby asked directly and the surprised look in Emma's eyes gave it away that it had indeed been _her_ who made her become so gloomy.

"What? What makes you think—" Emma almost choked on her drink, "There's nothing between us, okay," Emma said after Ruby narrowed her suspicious gaze on bloodshot eyes.

"Is that what upset you? That there ISN'T_ something_ between you two?" Ruby asked her.

Lily just sipped from her cocktail while watching with interest. _This should be good. The truth must be revealed, _she snickered behind her drink as she thought of this.

"Come on now," Emma rolled her eyes. "We're just close friends."

"We were _close _once…" Lily said before slurping again from her straw. Emma threw 'dagger' eyes at Lily.

"_Best friends_ forever, remember? But we _never_ had a son together so there's that," the dragon girl winked at her to further ruffle her feathers.

Emma threw 'dagger' eyes at Lily. "We _didn't_ have him together. We're just _raising_ him together. It's different, we're not involved, well not like _that._ " She was having problems with making it _not_ sound very gay.

"It actually isn't outrageous that you might have grown platonic feelings for her, Emma," Belle interrupted their bicker.

Emma's eyes widened in panic and Belle tried to explain why it came natural for her to see this. "By coparenting Henry life's pushed you closer together. Much more than you ever anticipated."

"It's totally cool if you like her," Ruby assured her. "We won't judge. I mean—look at me, I'm a fricking _wolf_ in the closet," she chortled to lighten the mood.

"_And also fucking gay…"_ Lily mumbled behind her drink but they didn't hear it. Well, Ruby _did_ hear something, but she didn't understand it and squinted at her.

"You can't keep fighting your nature. Embrace the rainbow at last, moron!" Lily snapped.

"Fine! I _lo_-like Regina! You happy now? _God…_" Emma said it so loudly her friends weren't the only ones hearing the confession. Alcohol had taken effect and her walls were crumbling down and she was sharing more than she would if sober.

"Okay, so now the cat's out of the hat, how exactly did she hurt you?" Ruby asked her.

Emma sighed. She found it relieving nobody was actually shocked at the admission of her attraction towards the mayor. It was not a big deal, apparently. _Was she really that naive about her own feelings she was the last one to realize them? Yes, yes she was._ And now she was also angry at herself for being so stupid, not just angry at what she'd seen in that closet.

"She wants nothing with me," the blonde answered sadly. "She has someone else who already _provides for her_," Emma told them with frustration.

"Whoa! I didn't know she was back to dating." Ruby was surprised and extremely curious. "Do you know who she's seeing?"

"Ruby." Belle discretely elbowed her. It was rude to rub salt to the wound.

"I mean, sorry Em... what a bummer." Ruby was apologetic.

"That'd be my mother obviously," there went Lily's venom. _Hell yeah_ she was getting back at Emma for making her teen self suffer the worst heartbreak in her life.

At the vitriolic comment Emma smacked her hands over the table and made it break from the surge of energy that blasted from them. "Yes, it's your _fucking_ mom!" She brought her face very close to Lily's ready for a fight. Lily was quite fiery too and her eyes began glowing with the magic of the dragon.

Ruby had to interrupt them before a magical duel broke inside the bar. "Easy, Em! Look, it's not like you're single anyway," She said to Emma, gently touching her arm.

"What are you even talking about?" Emma turned to see her now and shook her head in bewilderment.

"Hook?" Ruby stared at her.

The dragon girl rolled her eyes. That relationship was faker than Kylie Jenner's ass.

"Uh... Right. I sometimes forget he's even there," Emma grumbled. "I've been spending so much time with Regina it feels like it's _her_ I'm dating." She sat down again on her stool.

All the people around them went back to minding their own business after the heat lowered—all except for the waiter, who came to look at the damaged table and with the bad news they would be having to pay for the damaged furniture. But Emma had been practicing magic with Regina. She waved her hand and made the table appear brand new again and sent the waiter away after apologizing to him.

"We've noticed," Ruby commented.

"If it's a crush, you might grow out of it. Like I did with Will," Belled tried to encourage her. "I'm happier by myself now."

Ruby smiled at that and locked eyes with Belle for slightly longer than normal.

"Ahem," Lily cleared her throat and Ruby averted her eyes coyly from Belle's and turned to Emma.

"So how did you confess your feelings? You have big ovaries to do that!" Ruby was excited and wanted to hear the whole story.

Emma was somewhat drunk but not drunk enough to share the embarrassing scene that happened at the Town Hall, and she didn't want to damage Regina's reputation by telling them she'd found her inside a dirty closet, making out with Maleficent as the dragon lady groped her all over, and that it had made _her _feel things she thought she couldn't.

_At least not with Hook._

She'd seen her boyfriend flirt with women on a few occasions and sure it was irksome, disrespectful, but it didn't hurt her or made her want to slap a bitch. No, not the way _she'd_ wanted to put a bullet between that smug dragon's eyebrows that moment. Maybe she was being a little extreme, but it totally sucked.

Thinking about it now in her inebriated state made Emma feel jealous and possessive over someone she clearly had no claim to, and it was shameful.

"I just… said I liked her and told her I would leave Hook for her if she wanted me to," Emma shared that part.

"How epically _un-romantic_," Lily shook her head. "Some things never change I guess."

Emma was such a hard head when it came to relationships. One-nighters was all she ever did after Neal. But it wasn't like Lily cared anymore. She was still a bit angry with her and they didn't get along so well, they barely tolerated each other. Lily was the one doing the _pushing away_ this time, but could she blame her? She had all Emma's darkness still inside her and that made her extra prickly.

Emma rolled her eyes at Lily's bait for an argument but made it clear she wouldn't be buying it, so Lily decided to move along.

"I'm bored. I will go have some fun on my own. See ya, girls!" Lily said to them and walked over to the bar to join a beautiful redhead with wild hair, who seemed not to care about the guys offering her drinks.

"Fools… thinking a 'free drink' will afford them one's company," Lily said as she sat on the stool beside the ginger.

Green eyes turned to lock with light brown with interest.

"Men feel entitled. We might have left the old world but some vices are carried across realms," the redhead said to Lily.

"Name's Merida," she offered her hand amicably. "Yours?"

"Lilith Mondragon. But I prefer Lily," the brunette smiled warmly.

She extended her hand to take Merida's and the redheaded girl noticed the birthmark on her wrist right away.

"Woah! Is it some form of tattoo from the land beyond the town line? Have you been there? I've always wanted to venture outside," Merida was extremely curious and became very interested in Lily's story. She loved adventure, bravery, and hearing about the story of this girl—a dragon—had her completely invested.

Their chemistry was spontaneous and Lily knew she'd want Merida to be more than just a one-nighter. She would be going home to sleep alone tonight, contrary to what she'd planned and told her mother earlier. It would be worth it, she hoped. Time would reveal.

Without Lily with them, Emma felt she could open up a little more.

She didn't want to upset Lily with her disgust toward Maleficent, and slowly realized her anger wasn't even rational. Maleficent had done nothing to her; it was her family who wronged the dragon sorceress instead and if Emma should be mad with someone, it was herself for denying her attraction to Regina all this long.

_How could she miss the signals?_

Regina had teased her when she first came to Storybrooke and didn't know who they were. Emma could never forget that time the mayor was sitting over her desk, legs crossed sensually, and chocolate eyes looking at her with predatory eyes as she walked up to her. _Power display?_ Bullshit. She was provocating her sexually. Regina had known Emma better than she knew herself that moment; known- felt, she was into women. And how could she also miss Regina displaying jealousy of Hook since he started flirting with her? The brunette had not behave as hostile toward Hook before he made his advances in Neverland.

"Uuuuuugh..." Emma groaned, "I'm such an idiot!"

Regina had been sending her signals but Emma was so scared of believing in the possibility, she'd decided to ignore them and think of it as Regina being _Regina._

But now there was no chance for her. Not when Maleficent was back, and that lady dragon was incredibly beautiful, so refined and mighty powerful. Emma knew she'd only defeated her in the past because Regina's spell had weakened the dragon enough to keep it trapped underground. She was really no match against Maleficent.

"Maleficent is much better for her," Emma said to her friends. "I've no chance."

She didn't know Maleficent but she could tell she transpired experience and a balance that was strangely calming. She seemed like a mean bitch, but she'd spared her parents for their sin and given them the chance to redeem themselves. _How many villains do that?_ _It's normally the other way around._

She couldn't bring herself to see Maleficent as neither a villain nor a hero; she was in the middle. And a very good standing point in Emma's book.

Emma had been programed to be a hero, self-righteous and stubborn like her parents. Regina had once been the ill-driven villain, but now dangled in the middle, with her moments of light and her moments of darkness, and Emma considered Maleficent's indecent offer for a hot second.

_No, that might not work for me._

Emma grew-up in the foster system, she wasn't big on sharing because nothing had ever been fully hers. _Killian would have to do._ He was safer in a sense. If he went away, it wouldn't hurt as much. Not as much as losing Regina would— if she ever got her.

They spent the night drinking and when the place had to close and they were forced to part ways, Emma told them she would be walking home. The cool night breeze would help her sober up and clear her mind of the confusing feelings. However, walking back home she decided to take another turn and went to the docks to pay her boyfriend a surprise visit. She was still drunk and she wanted to fuck the confusion away and she so happened to have a boyfriend that might come in "handy" at least for that. She mentally laughed at the irony in her little joke.

When Emma reached to the Jolly Roger and went down the stairs, she heard the panting and moaning of another lady and the pirate.

"No fucking way…"

Emma went down the last steps to see it with her eyes.

"Seriously?" Emma asked loudly, startling the horny bunnies that were fucking on that crappy excuse of a bed.

"Swan! Love! I can explain," Hook yelled behind her back as she stomped up the stairs.

"Don't bother. It wasn't even you who I really wanted to spend the night with," Emma was remarkably candid.

"Come again?" Hook ran after her with an old bed sheet wrapped around his lower body.

"Look, you can go back to your…_ hot date_, I don't care. I'm done with you," Emma felt free after saying it, like she had just been released from a deal with the Dark One.

"If you took good care of me, Swan, this wouldn't have happened."

"Wow! So it's my fault you can't keep it in your pants? Good God have mercy on my soul," Emma scoffed.

"A man has his needs. But, look, we can work it out. Why don't you come inside and I tell…" Hook tried to recall the girl's name but he couldn't.

"Oh my God, you don't even know who you're screwing. Do you know how this makes me feel?" Emma asked him.

"I pay them to fuck, not to talk! But, hey, I know you're jealous and I'm sorry. It's you I love… this is just _detached sex._"

"Dude. No. I'm not jealous." _At least not over you,_ Emma thought. "I feel worried that you could have given me an STD. You're so gross, man. I need to get myself checked. Fuck."

"Swan!" Hook yelled behind her but she was walking too fast for a naked man to catch up with her.

"It's over, asshole," he heard Emma yell back and give him the middle finger.

_Oh that was refreshing and so liberating._


	4. Feathers and Scales

_Summary: Maleficent and Regina have an argument. Emma and Regina are forced to face each other again after the incident and pick up on their relationship, but it doesn't feel the same anymore to be around each other. Nothing could ever go back to the way it was before coming out of that closet._

* * *

**Feathers and Scales**

* * *

When Regina woke up, she found her former mentor looking at her sleepy face with fondness, and it took her a minute to realize she'd fallen asleep in her soothing embrace.

_She had slept with Maleficent._ In her bed. In her home.

This had never happened before and Regina felt nervous. She didn't know if she'd offended the dragon, as their previous arrangement in the fairytale land was strict about having to 'poof out' after their bodies had completely relaxed, or Mal would turn into a dragon and fly out of her balcony and disappear in the cover of the night.

Sharing a bed for more than was necessary to get things done, had never happened before for them and Regina blinked her eyes in confusion.

Maleficent knew just what was going through her mind and decided to break the ice that she could feel settling.

"It's good to see you, Regina," Maleficent greeted. "If I had known you looked like this in the morning I wouldn't have made that silly rule," she leaned down and kissed her lips.

"Good morning," Regina blushed lightly and felt her heart beating faster. A light yawn came and the brunette covered her mouth with a hand, blushing even brighter at the slightly embarrassing image.

Maleficent smiled warmly and stroked Regina's hair gently while gazing into her eyes. But for Regina this was a very new feeling, waking up with someone she_really_ desired, and it surprised—shocked—her that Maleficent could be so endearing in the morning.

"And if I had known you could be this loving, I would have made you my Sheriff instead of my prisoner."

Regina stopped at the memory of Graham, who Maleficent had never met. The huntsman she took as a _sub_, bending her Mistress' suggestion about getting a pet. She'd made of him Maleficent's replacement in her bed, and a bad chapter in her new life in Storybrooke she truly regretted.

"Thinking about Emma Swan so early in the morning? I might feel a little offended, considering you just shared my bed," Maleficent rose from bed and went to her vanity to adjust her already perfect hair in an elegant bun. She was an early riser and had already taken a shower and made herself presentable.

Regina didn't want to talk about her previous_ pet_, so she let her believe Emma had been the only Sheriff in Storybrooke.

"And I might believe you're jealous. Is that even possible?" Regina moved from the bed and went to pick up her nightgown from the floor to get dressed.

"Not a chance, but good try," Maleficent smirked at their reflection in the mirror. "And I'm confident I'm much better in bed. I enjoy quality, which she clearly doesn't, judging by her dating that insipid pirate when she could've had the best treat of her human life if she'd only tasted you."

Regina's lips parted lightly in surprise at the compliment, but also at the somewhat hurtful comment. "Well, it's not like I ever let anyone know I wasn't completely straight," the Mayor tried to justify.

"Regina, dear, your attraction towards women can be seen from realms ahead, just so you know. If she didn't realize, she may be just as dull as her parents. In which case, I would advise you against procreating with her."

"What?" Regina was baffled. "You know _that's_ impossible, and we already have Henry."

"Not entirely…" She made a pause that made Regina want to deepen in the subject.

_Is there magic capable of that? _Regina wondered.

Maleficent after all knew much more about magic than her, as she was a great sorceress and a dragon _only God knows_ how old she might be, and how much she'd seen in her prolonged life.

_What if she was referring to her own pregnancy? Had it been magic?_ Because she'd thought Maleficent had slept with a man, or male dragon, and gotten pregnant.

Dragons were so mysterious. The old told tales about beautiful women who lured men into the woods so they could steal their "life source," becoming pregnant and keeping the unsuspecting father trapped inside a cave without escape so their dragon child would feed from his remains after hatching from the egg.

_Folk tales. Spooky folk tales to control and condemn female sexuality._

"But I'm not about to get into details," Maleficent said before Regina asked her more about the subject. "Dear, it's time for you to check in at your home if you don't want your son wondering where his mother has gone to."

"You just want to get rid of me. I don't know why I thought it would be any different after last night," Regina exhaled deeply.

At morning she wasn't really her best self, specially not if she felt she was being kicked out of bed after the best intimacy she had in her life, so she was defensive. She felt hurt. She was already feeling hopeful of having a committed relationship, but Maleficent made no promises. She never had, and never would make a promise like this—she knew.

"I don't understand what you want from me, Regina. You want quality time: you'll have it. But right now I believe you have other more pressing issues to attend, am I wrong in my assumptions?" Maleficent waved a hand over her mirror and showed the image of Henry waking up. It was a school day and he had to get ready.

"I can be there any minute. This just… had been too good to be true," Regina said before vanishing in a swirl of purple smoke.

Maleficent swallowed hard after watching Regina leave. She didn't enjoy making her feel rejected, but she had her own secrets to keep and had to stop Regina from asking questions she wasn't ready to answer.

* * *

At the mansion, Regina glamoured herself up with magic and summoned Henry's breakfast in the same manner, as she didn't have the mind to cook. She was upset and didn't feel like doing anything really, but she had to let it go for now so she wouldn't burden her son with her bad temper.

Henry did notice his mother was still moody, but he assumed it had to do with Emma because of their cold interaction from the previous evening, and let it slip. It was better to not meddle in their business, as he had learned by now after having been the 'apple of discord' in between his mothers.

_Nope. Not a good idea._

He went to school normally. Regina dropped him in the bus stop before going to the Town Hall, where she locked herself in the office to do paperwork that would _hopefully_ get her mind off everything that happened the day before.

She was very exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes were telling, but she managed to listen to Leslie as she gave her the summary of the meeting without her. There was nothing out of the ordinary and the Mayor thanked her secretary for the professional document she left over her desk. This was her best secretary ever after Sydney Glass, just minus the dirty work.

Leslie was leaving the office when Regina asked her for something else.

"One last thing. What's the gossip running behind my back?" Regina didn't need to specify the topic as Leslie could very well understand it was about_that_ scene before the meeting.

"Rumor has it, Madam Mayor, that Sheriff Swan may have misunderstood your friendship and took some liberties you didn't welcome," Leslie answered nervously.

"What?!" Regina was baffled. "They think she assaulted me?" She was incredulous.

"There's that version, but it's less popular. And the _other_ is... that…" Leslie looked around her nervously, "you were both having... Ah… _fun,_ but you…" she fidgeted and paused.

"Just say it," Regina ordered.

"But you _chickened out— I quote —_ last moment," poor Leslie was so embarrassed.

"I _did NOT__chicken out_," Regina groaned. Leslie squinted at her with curiosity.

"That's all. Thank you," Regina dismissed her.

Regina didn't like being the_buffoon_ of her denizens and wanted to clear this subject as soon as possible, but she had to tell the whole story and that was just as embarrassing, if not more, than the version being spread as the "official," which portrayed Regina as a coward who wouldn't face her true feelings for Emma, even when the Sheriff had expressed her romantic affections.

The story of that incident only kept growing bigger as you asked different persons, and by the end of the week, the unofficial/official one was that Emma had confessed her feelings to Regina but Regina rejected her because it would damage her image as Mayor. The cold woman hadn't even cared that Emma had ended her relationship with the pirate to prove it to her how much she wanted her. The last part was something that made Regina actually quite curious, but pride was pride and she wasn't about to call Emma to confirm the gossip. So according to the town, Emma was broken hearted; Regina had been a bitch to her, and people were giving her angry looks of _'how dare you hurt this innocent girl who loves you,'_ which was ludicrous because Emma Swan was dating the pirate. If it was as if _he didn't even exist_ in the eyes of Storybrooke, that had nothing to do with her.

"Always a villain, even when I'm not," Regina sighed.

"What?" Sneezy didn't quite hear her.

"Nothing."

She received her change after paying for her medicine for migraine, and as she did, an old lady waiting in line gave her a condemning look, and when Regina was moving to the exit she could hear the lady telling her grandson that she didn't want him near Henry because his mothers were getting weirder each day and she didn't want that kind of influence to affect him. But the kid just rolled his eyes and continued playing in his Gameboy an old game Henry had let him borrow.

Regina was tempted to turn on her heel and put that peasant in her place, but she took a deep breath, opened the door and continued her path quietly. She had no time and no desire to deal with old ass homophobes that were about to expire. And if that kid listened to his grandmother and stopped being friends with Henry, _he _was the one unworthy her son's friendship.

Regina went back to her office and asked Leslie to bring her a glass with apple juice for her pills, letting her weight drop on the chair tiredly. Leslie came a couple of minutes later to leave the glass over her desk and asked if there was anything else she might be needing.

"Just close the door behind you on your way out. Oh and don't pass me any calls, unless it involves my son," Regina said as she rubbed at her throbbing temples.

She drank her pills and went to sit on the couch. She closed her eyes for a moment to try clearing her mind and allow the medicine to take effect, but she was so tired she fell deeply asleep. In her dreams she vaguely heard her son's voice calling her.

It was _way_ past the time they closed the Town Hall. Emma had gone to leave Henry home after picking him from school and sharing dinner at Granny's but Regina wasn't there yet. Her cellphone kept sending them to voicemail and she wasn't picking up in her office. They'd also called Snow to ask if she had seen her, but she hadn't.

They decided to wait a while outside the mansion, but as an hour passed they decided to call Regina's secretary on her personal phone. Leslie told them the last time she saw the Mayor was in the magister's office and she'd ask her not to be disturbed. She then went home when it was time to close, but the Mayor stayed.

Regina would seldom stay late at work when she was stressed over something, but she would always let her son know, so it was very strange that Regina didn't let them know in time and so Emma decided to go look for her at the government building.

"Regina?" Emma knocked on the door.

The door was locked but Emma used her magic to hack it open. She pulled out her gun and asked Henry to stand behind her as she carefully entered the room to investigate.

They saw the half empty glass with some amber liquid over the coffee table, an orange bottle with pills that were scattered over the glass and some had dropped to the rug underneath, and as they moved closer they saw Regina lying unconscious on the sofa with a hand drooping on the side; it was a disturbing image if you didn't know the context.

"Mom?" Henry ran to Regina's side when he saw her on the sofa.

Regina had turned while asleep and accidentally hit the little container with her hand and made it fall, spilling the pills all over. But Emma didn't know this and what she was imagining was a more dramatic scene.

"Mom?" Henry shook her shoulder lightly.

"Regina! You okay? Can you hear me?" The sheriff jumped to her side when no response to Henry's question was given. "Please squeeze my hand if you do," she immediately took her hand in hers, and with the other checked the pulse on her neck.

"I'm fine," a raspy voice came from Regina in a groan and the brunette swatted Emma's hands away from her.

"Thank God!" Emma felt so relived, she almost went for a hug, but stopped midair and Regina knit her brow in confusion, but shook it off, and tried to focus her blurry sight. _Maybe she imagined it._

"I almost forgot how overly dramatic you are, Ms. Swan," the brunette commented and Emma rolled her eyes. "I must have lost track of time," the Mayor said as she turned to look at the clock on her desk. "I didn't even intend to sleep, but I had such a strong migraine," Regina incorporated slowly on the couch to sit.

"Yah… Tell me about it," Emma mumbled. "Can I have one or two, please?"

It hadn't been easy for Emma either. Even if she kept telling her friends that _nothing_ had happened that day and made up she'd only been helping Regina find some old files in the _dead archive_, no one would believe her. It _was_ a believable lie, but not even David could deny they saw Emma holding Regina's bra in her hand, it almost traumatized poor Mary Margaret for life. And the way Regina yelled at her made some witnesses think Emma had dared touch the Mayor without her consent.

These were their two stories: one that made Emma a sexual offender, and the _top favorite_ that made Regina a cowardly heartbreaker. None of which were true.

Regina looked at Emma, who looked even worse than she did, and nodded.

Emma took a couple of pills, swallowed them with the remaining juice in Regina's glass and Henry put the ones that didn't fall to the rug, back inside the container, and went to put it away inside his brunette mother's purse. It wasn't rare for him that his mother would sometimes need this medicine, as she would get those torturous migraines from time to time, especially when he'd started questioning her about being the Evil Queen.

Emma asked Regina to allow her to drive them home but Regina refused. Emma insisted once more and Regina finally relented because her sight was still a little blurry, and the migraine was coming back. She needed to relax so she finally gave Emma the keys to her Mercedes. It had been too rough of a week.

"There's no way I will relax in that loud bug, and this migraine_ will_ kill me," she told Emma so she would back down this time and agree to drive them in Regina's car. David could come pick her up in his truck.

"I like to walk anyway," Emma shrugged it off.

The drive to the mansion was quiet. Tense. Regina refused to even look in direction of the blonde and Emma felt like she wanted to talk to Regina but at the same time she couldn't and it was an awkward silence, save for the sounds coming from Henry's game in his phone.

They had avoided each other after the incident in the closet, even when Emma had wanted to share the news of her break-up with _Guyliner._ But she reminded herself that they weren't best friends anymore. _Or were they?_ Emma needed to know. She_ really_ had missed her these seven days (that felt like _years)_. It was the worse week of her life—okay, maybe she was exaggerating on that; it was the _second _worst week of her life, only surpassed by the week they spent in Neverland looking for Henry.

Once in the mansion, Emma stood in the porch and didn't ask for an invitation inside. Instead, she turned around in defeat and started walking away before actually getting dismissed once her purpose as chauffeur was fulfilled.

"Emma," came Regina's voice behind her and Emma felt her heart skip a beat. "The keys," Regina extended her hand.

"Oh, right. Sorry," the blonde felt heat rise to her cheeks.

She walked toward Regina and pulled the car keys out of her jacket's pocket and when she placed them in her hand, she let her own hand linger a little too long over Regina's. She felt a small shiver with the contact, an intimate touch even when it wasn't, and Regina wasn't really ready to lose that warm feeling she had been growing for Emma. This felt really comforting and after how Maleficent hadn't tried reaching her in all these days, Regina was very receptive to any signs of caring.

"Would you like to come inside for a drink? Perhaps some tea?" Regina surprised herself with her own request, but she really didn't want to continue being lonely. She finally had a friend in Emma and this friendship meant to her much more than she wanted to admit.

"I would love that," Emma offered a sheepish smile, and took a step even closer, and in that moment, they realized they were actually holding hands, and both women quickly corrected the accidental handhold.

Henry was doing his homework upstairs while his mothers bonded over a cup of chamomile &amp; lavender tea. Apple cider was a better idea, but they had just drunk their migraine pills; it wouldn't be advisable to mix drugs and alcohol.

They talked about the gossip in the small town and how ridiculous and wrong it was. Of course with the way they _came out_ and what the people in the conference room saw, they had given them material to build these outrageous stories that only held but a small portion of the truth in them. Yes, Regina had rejected Emma, but it was for very different reasons.

Regina couldn't continue faking not to be curious about Emma's break-up. She needed to know if it had actually happened or if it was part of the made-up rumors. Emma could sensethe Mayor was dying to know. She finally told her she found him with a prostitute in his bed, and called it over, and she felt so free now that she didn't have to keep pretending it was him who her heart desired. She couldn't continue lying to herself and denying her true nature: she liked women, and she had laid eyes on one since a long time ago, but had been too scared to face these feelings.

Hearing this intimate confession made Regina feel a shiver travel down her body, giving her goosy skin in anticipation. She selfishly wanted to be the true owner of Emma's longing, but she fought the feeling away. _It could be Lily, _Regina reminded herself. Emma had probably just wanted to "scratch an itch" with Regina. Besides, _she_ had Maleficent now, didn't she? But this was uncertain after how she left the dragon's home and Maleficent hadn't contacted her yet. She never did in past, why would she do now? It was always _her_ seeking Mal.

Regina found herself lingering at Emma's lips for longer than would be deemed appropriate, and the blonde felt her face become flushed in awareness. Emma licked her suddenly dry lips as her own gaze fell on dark red ones, and decided that she could do this. She could, and she _would _be fighting for this woman. Maleficent might be gorgeous, refined even, but Emma wasn't _that bad_ herself. She had a lot of love to offer, if Regina wanted to take it.

Her mind was resolved; she would be courting Regina Mills. _Let the games begin._

Regina accompanied Emma to the door and as they walked, Emma let her hand brush lightly against Regina's, pretending it was accidental. Regina bought it and Emma could see some color come to tint her cheeks.

_Was Regina blushing? _It made her heart jump with excitement. She could do this. She had a chance.

"Good night, Emma," Regina stood by the entrance, holding a hand at the doorframe as she watched Emma step down her porch.

"Emma turned her head lightly and smiled at her over the shoulder. "Good night,_ my friend_," the blonde said teasingly.

Regina twitched her lip at the "friend" part.

— * —

The next day, Emma came to Regina's office carrying a bag with some take-out food to have lunch with her. The Mayor wasn't expecting it, but it was a surprise she welcomed. They hadn't shared lunch together since the day the Chernabog came out of the hat.

"What do you have there?" Regina looked up at Emma and pointed at the take out bags in her hands with her pen.

"Not Granny's," Emma flashed her teeth. "Two spinach omelettes, and coffee."

"What happened to your grilled cheese?" Regina gave her a flirtatious look and suppressed a smile.

"I wanted to taste something more _refined_ for a change," Emma winked at her and made her blush.

They moved to have lunch over the table to the side and talked about Henry's day at school, and Regina commented about the homophobic lady she had the displeasure to hear in the pharmacy, and Emma agreed it would be the other kid's loss if he stopped being friends with Henry.

It felt good to converse like this again, but there was also something more. _Was Emma hitting on her?_ Regina was unsure, but it wasn't like she didn't like this new level of attention. Emma kept looking at her like she was the light of her eyes, and actually listened to everything she said, and offered many smiles that felt sincere.

When they finished, Regina was surprised when Emma rose from her seat and quickly went to stand behind hers, pulling back the chair so Regina could stand from the table more easily, like a true gentle**_wo_**man.

Regina blinked in bewilderment but the corner of her lips quirked into a smile.

"To what do I owe this sudden change of treatment,_ Miss Swan_?"

"I'm just treating you like the _Queen_ you are. Do you mind, _your Majesty_?" Emma cheekily responded.

Regina locked eyes with Emma and couldn't stop her smile from turning into a toothy grin. "Not at all. You may continue," the brunette told her as she moved to her desk.

Emma ran to the desk, too, and pulled back the chair before Regina went to sit. "Allow me," the blonde said ceremoniously, and Regina sat on her chair, feeling highly amused with this playful dynamic. It really felt good to be treated as a 'lady,' and she imagined this was what being courted felt like. _Wait._ Who said anything about being courted by Emma Swan? She shook the thought away.

"Sheriff. Don't think because we shared lunch you're exempt from your duty to the town. I expect your paperwork turned in at four. You're good to go," the Mayor dismissed her.

Emma offered a lopsided smile. "Of course not, Madam Mayor. I know what I'm expected to deliver," she winked at Regina and the brunette was baffled. The innuendo game with Emma was strong today, and she kind of liked it. But she was so NOT flirting back with Emma. That is _if_ Emma was actually flirting.

_Oh god._ What was happening?

Regina had trouble concentrating on her own work. She kept thinking about her night with Maleficent, and about this morning with Emma. She'd enjoyed both interactions, and the idea crossed her mind that _"if only she could make one out of the two of them, it would be perfect."_

Maleficent made her vibrate with her more basic instincts; passion, lust, but there was also admiration for her brilliant mind, her experience in life, and she could be quite loving—when she felt like sharing. But she could also be emotionally detached on the same level. And Emma, Emma was being so open now. But it hadn't always been like this. She was actually not very different from Maleficent on that; they rarely displayed their affection romantically. But today had been so nice.

Emma had made a change. She was coming after her today, she was very open, and she was very _cute_ in their interaction earlier. This was a side of Emma Regina had only imagined, but now she was being able to_ see_ it from up close, and even feel it. Truth be told, she quite welcomed it.

— * —

The Sheriff was like that all throughout the week. She kept bringing lunch, always a delectable, healthy choice, but Regina knew she was _cheating _once she got to the station. She'd spied her on the mirror on a few occasions to confirm her suspicions, that Emma had her desk drawer stuffed with junk food to eat while in the privacy of her little office. _Bad Swan._ Regina chuckled.

The second week passed without speaking about the embarrassing subject again, and the gossip in the small town started to finally fade away. But during these days, Regina hadn't seen or heard from Maleficent, and that was more frustrating than the rumors about her _unpopular _encounter with "Emma" in the closet. Nobody had a clue that it had been Mal who had her hands all over Regina that day. Hands Regina missed feeling on her body. Her friendship with Emma wasn't like her friendship with Maleficent, but she secretly wished they could reach that level of... intimacy.

That night Regina had quite a racy dream involving not only Mal, but also Emma with her. She woke up and had to splash some cold water to her face. "_No. No. No. Don't fuck it up," _she repeated in her mind, because she quite enjoyed the image of her, pressed in between the two hot blondes doing R-rated things. _Oh, sweet dragons and swans._

Even if she'd made up with Emma and they'd been having an_ interesting_ week, to say the least; it was one more day since her intimate night with the dragon, and Regina felt _ridiculous _because she was actually keeping count of the days, every time she opened her agenda and looked at the calendar. _How pathetic. _She hated this old habit, one she had back in the Enchanted Forest, counting the days before she could visit or summon Maleficent to her presence.

_Sixteen._

For some odd reason, this was Maleficent's favorite number. _It was the day_—that was if they were still working their _relationship_ under the dragon's old terms, but she couldn't know because she'd left Maleficent's bedroom in a bad mood, and didn't contact her again, even when she really needed to ask if that night meant anything to her, because it meant a lot to her.

Perhaps this had been Mal's way to get back at her, making her crave something she never would receive from her: requited love. This was her vengeance.

Regina kept absent-mindedly drawing a _perpetual_ circle around the day on her agenda, until Emma finally commented on it.

"What did Tuesday do to you? That paper's gonna break," the blonde closed an eye, as if she'd flinched expecting a punch.

"Nothing," Regina groaned.

But in that moment, they saw black smoke swirl over the desk, and after dissipating, it revealed a small black box with an elegant purple ribbon on the top, and a note tucked under the bow.

"Maleficent," Regina gasped.

But Emma wasn't as excited about it. She crossed her arms over her chest as she saw Regina pull out the note, and narrowed her eyes on it.

"So, what it says?" She asked from tight teeth.

The message was written in Maleficent's elegant calligraphy and said: "I hope there's still hope, my black rose," Regina read, and Emma steeled her jaw. "Oh."

Regina frowned in confusion. _Why did this present feel like an apology? _Not to mind it, anyway, as she hadn't received a romantic present in years—maybe decades, or ever (unless you counted that mirror she received from the genie), and it made her stomach feel a flutter. Also, this was the first—no, the _second_ time Maleficent was the one to seek her. The first time was in that goddamn closet. _Oh._

_Maleficent wasn't getting back at her, _Regina realized, and her face lit-up.

She found a small red velvet bag inside, from which she slowly retrieved her present. It contained a gold chain necklace with a beautiful teardrop ruby pendant, framed by small white diamonds all around it. It was very elegant, and it so happened to match her dress perfectly. Maleficent must have peeked at the mirror to check on Regina before materializing the jewelry with her magic.

"Allow me?" A familiar voice suddenly came from behind Regina's chair, making her jump in her seat. But Emma wasn't amused and had to fake a smile.

"Ah… yes, I suppose," the Mayor responded with a nervous smile, locking eyes with Emma briefly. _She_ was excited, but she noticed Emma wasn't all that happy.

Regina shivered when she felt Maleficent's fingers move her long hair to the side to place the necklace around her neck, and felt even more nervous when the woman's breath was over her skin, ruby lips so close to her neck, as the dragon moved the pendant to rest on the middle of her chest._ Hmm._

"What do you think, Savior?" Maleficent locked eyes with Emma when the younger woman tried to take her leave. "Do you fancy?" Her voice was melodic but her gaze was daring as long fingers held the ruby pendant firmly over Regina's heaving chest.

_Do you fancy this gem? Do you fancy Regina?_ Emma could read between the lines.

"Yeah," Emma pushed her hands inside her pockets looking at the two women with unease.

"Let me see," Maleficent swiveled Regina on the chair to face her. "Breathtaking, my dear," she spared a glance at Emma. She was being territorial.

"Well, you created it. It would be odd if you gave me something you didn't feel proud of," Regina gave her a playful look and nibbled on her lower lip. Gladly, Emma didn't see that, as the back of Regina's chair was all that met her sight. And, of course, _smug_ Maleficent behind it.

"I was referring to you, darling. But the pendant did turn out quite delicately as well," Maleficent showed a flash of white teeth in her smile, flirting openly with Regina as Emma watched with vile burning in her stomach. Maleficent was quite enjoying riling her up.

"I gotta go, R'Gina. This lunch break was longer than usual. See you later," the Sheriff didn't even give time for Regina to answer. She was fast to go, slamming the door shut behind her.

_What on earth?_ Regina rose from her seat, startled, but the hands that slowly came to her hips, prevented her from following behind her. It felt nice to have them there again, and Regina wrapped her arms around Maleficent's neck.

"Smooth talker," Regina had a weakness for the dragon lady.

"Not just smooth at that," Maleficent batted her eyelashes sensually, and Regina raised a flirtatious eyebrow in response.

"I must confess I've quite missed you these days, Regina," Maleficent sounded honest.

"Really?" Regina was incredulous, almost sarcastic. "You did a great job covering it up with your indifference. You fooled me."

Maleficent leaned down and kissed Regina's pouty lips. "Really. Have I ever lied to you?"

"Lied? No. Omit the truth, in the other hand..." Regina raised her eyebrow. "But you had your reasons, and I respect your wish to keep them private."

"Good girl," Maleficent smiled and stroked her hair sweetly. "I hope you know I didn't mean to push you away."

"Mal…" Regina parted from her embrace. "I need to know if we're going back to our old ways. I don't know what we're doing."

"Well, _I_ know what I'm doing. I'm enjoying my time with you, and I had hoped you would do the same."

"Yes, of course," Regina averted her eyes and made a long pause. "It's just…" Regina wanted to ask for _more, _but she couldn't. "Do you have a plan for today or should I—"

"I do. But you might want to let your secretary know you won't be coming back until tomorrow," Maleficent informed her.

"What?" Regina shook her head. "I've work—"

"You always have work, dear, what difference does it make? Today, tomorrow, or the day after; it's all the same. You only live once… Well, unless you're myself," Maleficent chuckled.

"You're… right," Regina knit her brow but smiled.

"Shall we?" Maleficent offered Regina her arm.

They walked together to the door and Leslie was very confused when she saw the two ladies come to her little desk, arm in arm, after having seen Emma storm out of that same office with the temper of the devil. She suddenly connected the dots._ Uh-oh._

"I'm leaving early, and I won't be answering any calls," Regina was straight to the point, careless of what her secretary might assume.

"Have a good day, Madam Mayor," Leslie didn't ask any questions.

Everything was quite obvious, as Maleficent's love for women was no secret after that _Sleeping Beauty_ curse. But nobody had ever known these two witches had an affair that dated back to Regina's youth in the Enchanted Forest. They had a long history, and it transpired that both women weren't new to each other.

_Wow! _Leslie couldn't believe how hot these two powerful women looked together. She wasn't gay herself but she needn't be to admit it.

"So where are we headed?" Regina asked with curiosity.

"To the only place where you can let go," Maleficent grinned, and Regina was somewhat confused. "The sky," she cleared.

A black smoke engulfed Maleficent's body and changed her shape into a dragon, giving many of the walking by peasants a really bad spook.

The Sheriff station began receiving calls to alert them about the dragon, and David didn't know _which _of the two was. _Mother or daughter? _In any case, they were probably up to no good and David paged Emma to ask her to look out.

"Mal! Have you _not _seen what I'm wearing? I'm in a _dress,_ there's no way I can ride you," Regina yelled angrily.

"So keep only your necklace, my dear," Maleficent teased her.

"So funny. I didn't know you kept a humor hidden under all those scales. What are you waiting for? Change me," Regina ordered the big creature.

Emma was still in her patrol when she saw the familiar dragon, turned off the engine, but stopped dead on her track when she saw Maleficent's eyes glow brightly in purple, and from her mouth came a big cloud of magic that covered Regina.

Emma ran fast to Regina's side but fell back on her butt when the Mayor began changing into _a fucking dragon_ as well.

"What the hell?" The blonde was flabbergasted, as were the rest of the people outside the building.

"Fear not, denizens of Storybrooke. It's just me, and we're not out to cause any trouble," Regina's voice came loudly from a smaller dragon than Maleficent.

She had red wings and black scales in her body, eyes that glowed bright amber—she kind of reminded Emma of Lily—and Emma could almost swear it looked a little more masculine than the other _winged snake_.

_No way…_ Was she imagining things?

The two dragons spread their wings and took flight, heading right into the headwinds and racing to the clouds. It was quite a spectacle that in the fairytale land would have meant the dragon dance before death fell upon their village in the form of _raining fire_ coming from their mouths.

This was Maleficent's idea for a date with Regina, minus the horror part.

"How can I compete with that?"


	5. Dancing in the Air

_Note: This chapter has been modified. I made a mistake and now I've changed some of how this date went. Sorry! I had to take the whole DQ dinner out. *throws a forgetting potion at you* lol If you're reading it for the first time then you're fine. ;)_

* * *

**Dancing in the Air**

* * *

The cool breeze on her face made Regina feel like she could let go of her worries, and as she looked from high up in the sky, to the small town, she wondered why she put so much effort into her work as Mayor of this God forsaken town.

_This_ was _freedom:_ flying through the clouds, sky diving and spreading her wings just before hitting the ground, only to pick up again and do some quick swirls in the air. Oh! Such was the freedom of a dragon and she really felt like one of them—_she was,_ at least for this moment. This fleeting moment.

Part of Regina wanted to stay this shape for the rest of her days, but knew she couldn't. At least she would be enjoying this_date in the air_and hope for it to repeat some time soon. _M__aybe on regular basis? _ She pondered. It wasn't like she _had_ to hide anymore. Not in this world. Not in this new life. Her love life was nobody's business but her own, _but what even was all of this? _She'd always had feelings for Maleficent, but there was also Emma now; it was all so confusing.

_How could you like two people so different, so much? So strongly?_

Maleficent came and twirled together with her, making acrobatic spirals in perfect synch with hers in the air, like they did once, _long ago,_ especially enjoying this flight with her younger friend. But what Maleficent was enjoying the most this moment, was watching Regina let go. Break free, truly, and enjoy herself in a more primal way, free of fear of judgment.

Regina was just as beautiful as a dragon as she was a human; Maleficent had a hard time trying to tear her eyes from her flying companion.

_To think they had wasted so much time…_They'd _lost__so much_ and Regina was oblivious of it all. _What could have been._

After a couple of hours, they finally came to land so they could drink water from the river, thirsty and agitated after dancing in the air.

Maleficent lie by the shadow of a rowan tree, Regina joining her a moment later, nuzzling up to the bigger dragon—almost twice her size—and rested her head on the grass, joining Maleficent in a much needed nap, seeking her warmth. Granted, moving a dragon's body required colossal energy.

The dragon duo snoozed for a while. A big nap, as they lost track of time in their slumber, sleeping through the evening, well until the moon was high in the sky.

It was when Regina inhaled too deeply and got some dandelions into her nostrils that caused her to sneeze loudly and awaken both of them.

*ARRchoo!* The black-scaled dragon's body quivered and Maleficent smiled warmly; both creatures yawning as they lazily woke up.

"Bless you," _purred_ Maleficent sweetly (as sweet as groans and growls can sound when speaking in Dragon tongue).

"Thank you," Regina purred back.

Regina still looked magnificent in Mal's eyes; the resemblance with Lily was uncanny. Dark-scaled, amber-eyed, red-tinted wings; she'd said her daughter looked like _her__,_ but she looked much more like Regina, only bigger, and slightly lighter—_mixed_—and she knew it wouldn't take too long before the mayor noticed their parentage. Even Maleficent was surprised because it had been decades since she last saw her _little Queen_ in the shape of a dragon.

Up until now, Regina hadn't seen Lily in her reptile form. But it would happen one day, as Lily loved giving Merida rides on her scaly back. Those two girls really liked recklessness and Maleficent was nervous they might be extra naughty one day and go around the streets of Storybrooke, flaunting their badassery. She could imagine it: Merida holding a leash to her dragon daughter as Lily walked behind her like a ferocious creature, growling—maybe even spitting fire—at pedestrians just to get a kick out of it. Not that as a Dragon mother she would mind it, but she didn't want to cause trouble to Regina. Especially not with Lily.

"I had forgotten how good this felt," Regina _commented, _but Maleficent was so lost in thought, she didn't respond.

Regina lightly smacked her side with a flap of her wing to gain her attention.

"What are you thinking?" Bright amber eyes bore into gleaming green with curiosity.

"The past… Present," Maleficent responded, her gaze lost in the landscape.

"But not about the future?" Regina pressed.

"Lately, I'm always thinking about the future, Regina. Feels like a curse."

Regina squinted at her, trying to read her expression, but it was even harder to do so while in a dragon form.

Suddenly, magic wore off for Regina and, in a swirl of black smoke and red sparks of fire, she went back to human. Maleficent's spell burned out.

"Well, that was fast. I remember it used to last for twenty-four hours," Regina said as she looked at her transformed body and then at her dragon friend, who was still agitated even though they'd rested for a couple of hours now.

_That was also strange._

"My spark is no longer what it used to be," Maleficent said to her, "I suppose that happens when you're resurrected from the ashes," she groaned lightly.

Luckily, Regina could still understand Dragon tongue. "Do you feel ill?" She became worried, got closer to Maleficent and put a hand on her forehead.

She was cold, which was really unusual from a dragon.

"This might help," she used some of her light magic to help Mal, if just a little, making herself a little tired again, but pretended to be fine. Healing a dragon was very taxing on one's energy. Only those with a strong bond with a dragon, could help them heal. Thankfully Regina was that person for Mal.

Maleficent closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth of Regina's palm and the gentle prickle of that magic on her forehead. She opened her eyes slowly again when she felt soothed.

"Thank you. And don't worry, my little Queen," she growled gently, transformed back into a human and sat on the slightly humid grass, leaning her back against the trunk, ignoring that her tailored navy-blue suit was certainly going to get soiled.

Regina looked at her; Mal didn't look completely well, and moved closer. She eyed the place where Maleficent had chosen to sit down and, with a grumble, joined her. Her elegant grey dress would be ruined, but she could work her magic to make it new once home.

"What are you not telling me, Mal?" Regina asked, concern in her eyes, strain in her voice.

"So many things…" Maleficent inhaled deeply and let the air out, "Like how beautiful I've always found you," the dragon lady said to her, locking gazes with a slightly bashful Regina. "You shine _light,_ despite de darkness that once constricted you," she told her sweetly.

"That snake," she hissed, thinking about the Dark One- Rumplestiltskin. "And that foolish liar of an entitled princess," she spat. _Snow White._

But there was also guilt. Maleficent had, after all, taken part in darkening Regina.

Regina had met her in her worst, she'd had nothing good to offer that poor, young soul that knocked on the door of her fortress, seeking hope. Only revenge. _Hope for revenge_ was the only thing they ever fed each other. _And half-truths._

"I should've done something to stop him. I should've protected you and our f—" Maleficent backtracked, "friendship."

"Mal…," Regina looked deep into blue eyes, feeling slightly unsettled by Maleficent's guilt and affliction. "If it hadn't been for Rumplestiltskin, I wouldn't have met you._ You_ were the only one there for me whenever _Leopold-_" said the name with disdain, "took pieces from my _soul_ for his pleasure. Him, _Cora,_ they're the ones who snuffed the light out of me and made me hopeless. Not you. Not even Snow White. I also did it to myself."

Maleficent's jaw tightened at the name- Snow White._ That child abductor._

"As much as Rumple's to blame for darkening my heart, it was _my_ hand the one that caused so much pain... Ripped so many hearts out." Regina made a long pause, inhaled deeply, remorse on her features, and exhaled. "I do regret the lives taken, but I also know thanks to that I got my son. My little prince." Regina's face lit with a warm smile and hope, and it made Maleficent feel a blow to her stomach.

"_Emma's,_" Maleficent growled.

"Hmm?" Regina wasn't sure she heard right, and was taken slightly aback.

_And I lost mine. Ours!_ Maleficent would have responded, but she couldn't.

"You're right. It doesn't matter now. We both have our children back," she offered a small, forced smile. _If only she could bring herself to tell her._

"Oh my- speaking of which. Henry. I should've picked him up. I lost track of time," Regina remembered.

"Go. I do also wish to see Lily. She may not let me tuck her in but seeing her before she goes to sleep is quite fulfilling."

Maleficent leaned down and kissed Regina's lips softly. "Sleep well."

"You do too. And thank you for today," Regina smiled warmly.

Maleficent smiled as Black smoke engulfed her body and she vanished from sight.

Regina's smile faded then. She was sure she'd heard Maleficent right, just a moment ago, and wasn't completely happy about it.

_Had Maleficent implied Henry wasn't hers, or was she jealous of Emma suddenly?_

_What was her problem now? _Regina had always hated the secrecy around Maleficent. Sure, in the beginning it had been what had drawn her to the dragoness, but the appeal of *mystery* soon worn out. Mal never told her anything substantial about her, whereas she knew _everything_ about Regina. She would always listen, encourage and soothe her even. But _share,_ she didn't. Regina needed someone who could do that: open up and trust her.

But first things first: Henry.

She checked her phone to see the hour and it was too late to be picking him up from the charmings.

Regina appeared in her foyer, walked a few steps and leaned her weight against the staircase's railing, thinking about her date. It had started wonderfully, they had had a lot of fun together, but it all turned weird in the last second. It didn't make sense. Something just didn't click.

Regina was in reverie when someone suddenly cleared their throat, startling her, the sound of steps coming closer.

"Henry?" Regina turned to the living room, from where the noise came, but saw Emma walking up to her instead.

"Emma? What are you doing here so late?" Regina asked confusedly, but she was actually a little bit relieved to see her.

"You weren't answering your phone. I left you three— _five_ messages," Emma responded sharply.

"I… I turned it off, sorry," Regina apologized. She had wanted no interruptions in her date because she expected there would be more… _fun, _and blushed lightly.

"You still haven't answered my question, dear," Regina regained her stoic composure.

"Henry insisted I let him stay here. He didn't want to stay with me at my parents' because of my little brother. He still cries a lot through the night and Henry can't sleep well with the wailing, and tomorrow he has a test," Emma answered with an accusing tone, "I couldn't just _leave_ him **alone** without knowing if you would _even_ be back to sleep," the blonde emphasized, looking her up and down, as if searching for signs of only _God knows what._

"A test?" Regina didn't remember him mention. "_Hmm..._ You're right. Thank you, and I'm sorry. I will be more responsible next time."

Emma's ears perked up on that. _Next time._ Did this mean she would be having frequent dates with Maleficent? _Of course it meant that_. It made her stomach twist. _Were they official now?_ The question killed her, but it wasn't the moment or place to ask. _Fuck,_ her mind was torturing her.

"I expect you to be. You should at least wait until it's weekend; like any other civil person with a son does," Emma scolded her, folding her arms over her chest.

"I beg your pardon?"

Regina _had_ been expecting it, but it still surprised her.

"What are you, my mother?"

"No. I'm _your son's_ mother and I have the right to know where you are, or at least _when_ will you be back home," Emma thundered.

Regina sighed. Emma was right, and even if she felt a little embarrassed at being scolded like she was some sneaky teenager, she couldn't help finding Emma's anger a little _charming_, because the blonde looked somewhat jealous, and her stern voice couldn't fully mask those green, sad puppy eyes that _got to her. __Wait. No, they didn't._

"If I didn't know better," the mayor took a step closer, "I might even suggest you're jealous, _Em-ma,"_ Regina said her name with deliberate sensuality.

Emma blinked eyes in surprise, completely dumbfounded.

"Ha-ha," Emma chuckled with mixed sarcasm and nervousness. "I'm just looking after _our_son," she emphasized, felt her lips become suddenly dry as she glanced down at dark red lips for a brief moment.

_So kissable… Wait. _What?!__ _Emma averted her eyes._

"To be fair, he's almost fourteen. I bet he's not even asleep yet," Regina told her.

"He said he would study late," Emma responded.

"Did he?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "Come with me," she beckoned Emma to follow her to one of the mirrors on the wall, waved her hand on the reflection and they saw Henry. On the computer. Chatting.

"Procrastinating sounds more fitting," Regina scrunched her nose.

Emma's brow furrowed. "He lied to me. I don't get it. How come my superpower didn't alert me?" She was upset.

"He does have a book beside the keyboard. My guess; he _was_ studying, but then his friend came online. He's been staying up late and I figured it could be a girl, or a boy, who was encouraging that," Regina said to Emma.

"I believe you don't have Internet at Mary Margaret's, correct me if I'm wrong."

"That brat," Emma shook her head.

"Dear, I know I should've sent you a text, but this isn't the end of the world. So, if you excuse me, I would like to go to bed. I'm very tired." Regina suppressed a yawn.

"Yeah. Just… Let me know _next time,"_ Emma put her hands in her pockets and looked downcast.

She didn't want to know about a "next time," but they shared a son, so she _had to_.

She wondered if Regina had felt this way about her relationship with Hook at some point. But now that Maleficent was here, it seemed like Regina had only eyes for _the dragon_, and had never cared about her_—__not this way__._ Okay, maybe she was overthinking, because they'd had a lovely week together, and if she was honest, she actually spent more time in Regina's office than she did at the station— everyone kept pointing out. There was always a 'work' excuse or magical conundrum to visit the woman.

Emma began walking to the door, Regina coming behind her to open, and turned around to look one last time at Regina before leaving.

"You really looked pretty today. Well, always— I mean you're gorgeous, so… yeah. Have a good night," Emma blurted nervously and walked hurriedly to her bug, like she was barefooted on burning coals, leaving a very shocked Regina behind her, smiling as she bit her lip.

The two women who meant most in her current romantic life, had called her beautiful today and Regina felt a special boost in her confidence. It had been a good day, even if she still had to figure out what was wrong with Mal's sudden change of mood. It had to be related to Emma's darkness in Lily, which they hadn't fixed yet, Regina pondered. They had to find a way— Regina would make of this her priority, but for now she just wanted to take to bed the good experience in their date before that odd comment happened.


	6. Broken Souls

_Note: It is finally here! Maleficent's story. It was VERY hard because OUAT fucked up the story of the sleeping beauty, and after Maleficent 2014 movie - Disney's rewrite - it was super difficult to make this Maleficent make sense with all canon versions of her. I think I did an alright job, given the amount of fuckery. eh. Enough rambling. BIG meta in this chapter, fantasy on abundance. WEIRD Dragon shit._

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**Broken Souls**

* * *

After seeing Lily to wish her a good night, Maleficent took a hot bath in her luxurious tub, adding some sea salts to soothe her sore body. Being a dragon nowadays wasn't like before; her aching muscles reminded her her youth had come to pass a couple centuries ago. And she'd lived the last three decades in the form of a dragon, spent them trapped underground with no room for her to fly or even properly stretch her wings. She was _rusty,_ older, and she'd been demanding too much from her body in a small period of time, it was taking its toll on her. She couldn't keep up the same rhythm.

Maleficent kept teaching Lily all there was to learn about their heritage and nature: flying, fire spitting, shape shifting— all of what being dragons meant for them. And then she'd also taken Regina for a flight. It was more than she could handle magic-wise nowadays and Maleficent's spark wasn't what it was once, before conceiving her daughter. But it was better for Regina to believe it was because she'd been brought back from the ashes.

A human sorceress couldn't transform into a dragon on her own; it took a_ true dragon_ to share its _spark with her _in order for the spell to work. But this was very taxing on the creature, not even to mention this was _forbidden _in the fairytale world. It was found a crime against humanity, the worst evil a witch could unleash, and an immoral act against God for a human to become involved in any way with one of these hellish creatures that could take on the shape of man to lead innocent souls to their deathbed.

Dragons were vile, murderous, twisted creatures that destroyed all life and innocence in their wake, and the only way to appeal to their mercy was by offering a fair maiden to quench their lust and thirst for blood. And just as horrid as humans found dragons to be, dragons deemed humans equally unworthy of walking the earth with the rest of the creatures of nature, both magical and not.

Humans were parasites that consumed and destroyed all land they touched, killed any creature that looked slightly different from them— they even killed each other for their color of skin or their faith! So why would any creature of nature want to share the world with these despicable, hairless monsters, or much less a dragon consider to share such a special gift as their spark with one of them? It was aberrant, but it still happened. And magic always came with a price.

There were very few dragons left in their old world as humans became better slayers and it was now them who terrorized the winged creatures. Many true dragons perished, others resorted to living amongst humans instead, giving up their magical origins to survive in a world no longer theirs to govern.

There was a saying amongst them: "Live a human or die a dragon," but being anything less than a dragon was humiliating, so only a few - older - maintained their true form. Thousands were slaughtered to be used in potions for their healing and longevity properties, some others for a sport, and there were those who like Maleficent were hunted down because they caused horror first. Just a dozen or so specimens lived in harmony in a haven known as "the fair folk:" fairies, gnomes, unicorns and other magical sprites that had come together to insure survival in secluded moorland protected by ancient light magic.

Maleficent was one of them, part of this perishing species, but she didn't actively seek a partner to breed so their race could survive. It wasn't she had no interest in motherhood; it was her lack of interest in _males, _and females were very scarce among them because usually they chose to live the human way, often as healers or shamans to afford themselves some respect and security in small villages.

Besides, she wasn't completely alone. She'd found one creature she felt strongly for, but the woman she desired was _human,_ a princess, and so she kept it a secret, as such union would certainly endanger the object of her affection. She couldn't care less about herself; it was her _rose_— Princess Briar Rose —whom she couldn't fathom putting in harm's way.

Dragons were magic-born, and while same-sex relations between them were something common, only some special unions could bare fruit. For two female dragons it meant to share their magical spark in a ceremony that could only be done once in their lifetime, as it would take half the life source from each partner to create a new spark for their child, hopefully. It was a steep price to pay for something that wasn't even warranted to work.

It was a myth if a dragon and magic-bearing human's relationship could result in a child, as any marriages between ordinary humans and dragons who'd given up their true identities to live amongst them, had never resulted in offspring. If they were to be discovered both lovers would be executed, that was why no dragon would take the risk of courting a witch or a sorcerer. They did fall in love and wish to protect their partner. Contrary to human's beliefs, Dragons could _feel_ and deeply.

Still, Maleficent yearned to take this risk, break all rules and share her life with someone who meant something to her, not just survive, nor mate for the purpose of breeding. She'd found her _Rose_; a woman whose beauty was so captivating even the fiercest of dragons could be tamed by the grace of her mere presence. And tame she had become for Briar, but her love for the princess was a button that could never bloom.

Accidentally, the princess had come across the fae moorland, and with a heart so full of innocence, she was granted passage by the protection and cloaking spells that would have ceased any human, troll, or giant that tried to enter. Purity of heart was the key to entering their haven.

Briar Rose was more than just physical beauty or her innate innocence. She was kind, graceful, and when she sang, her voice made you gravitate to her, like the siren's lure to sailors in the sea, but not to a certain death— although for Maleficent it would feel like that later; make her drown in the depths of her feelings for her. Briar's mellow voice gave you peace and warmth, and Maleficent let herself be drawn to that fair maiden, forging a deep friendship with her, while inevitably growing a fascination for humans she'd never possessed before _her. _Until Princess Briar, her delicate rose appeared.

With Briar Rose Maleficent saw the brighter side of humans, and because this good-natured young woman was so open, she mistook her gentleness and coyness for requited affection and awakening desire. It was her mistake, but Maleficent couldn't cope with the deception, the rage, the hurt and the betrayal she felt the moment she saw _her_ _Rose_ dancing with a young man in the woods, where Princess and Dragon would secretly meet before coming together to the moors to hideaway from the royal guard.

It was too much. She was feeling too much and all at once.

Maleficent wanted to interrupt the romantic moment, but she found her legs too weak to even walk up to the couple; hands too shaky to even grasp firmly on her staff; tears pouring from blue eyes; heart breaking in a million pieces. No one could see her like this—she wouldn't allow it. _She was a Dragon!_ A creature this powerful _c_ouldn't__ be brought down to her knees by a mere couple of humans sharing a stupid dance.

_But dancing meant so much to her._

She thought she would be the one sharing this dance with the Princess. _Not him. __NEVER__ him with __her__ Rose! _Stephan _couldn't _be worthy of this delicate flower— _no one_was, and Maleficent would prove it, designing a spell that could only be broken by a kiss of True Love.

Her magic was light of origin, in harmony with nature, but it turned dark of intent- her intention to keep them apart. It was a test of True Love, but it turned out a curse.

Maleficent was sure it would be _her kiss_ what would wake the princess, but time would teach her a lesson. And the first was about to come.

Maleficent flee from site, Princess Briar only noticed her after the puff of air and leaves that suddenly circled around them after the violent flap of wings. She looked up to the sky, but the forest was so lush she could barely distinguish from between the leaves and branches a dark shape in the haze: her dragon flying.

"Mal?"

Briar Rose separated from the prince and tried to see where the dragon was headed, but it was too far away already. Most likely headed back home, into the moorland.

"What was that, my lady?" Stephan asked her.

"Nothing. I… thought I saw a friend."

When Prince Stephan returned to his realm to let his father know they would be wedded in summer, Maleficent prepared to enact the curse, knowing it would take the lad weeks to come back, the time she was _sure _would be enough to prove Briar's parents wrong, and elope with her beloved princess— live their _happily ever after_ together.

* * *

Briar Rose was in the moorland, in their secret hideaway, wondering why her dragon friend hadn't appeared to her in days. She was sure Maleficent was the one who'd seen her in the woods with the prince, but still wanted to make sure, and also to know why it made her so upset.

She was dipping her feet in the river that delimited the fae land from the human when she heard the light growl of a dragon and flapping wings near her.

"Maleficent!" Briar exclaimed gleefully as she got up on her feet. She had been upset, but just one look at her friend was enough to cheer her up instantly.

Maleficent was on the other side of the land, unable to crossover to the moorland anymore. She turned into human as she landed on her feet, and waited for her maiden to come running to her instead.

"Have you missed me?" Maleficent asked calmly, almost coldly, but Briar was too happy to notice this or how Maleficent was avoiding to go near the river with the enchanted water.

Even though she was guarded and tried to act aloof, Maleficent was hopeful to hear the affirmative that was sure to follow. She needed to hear it regardless. Maybe she could still refrain from casting this curse, if Briar said the right words.

"Of course I have! It's beenweeks since I've last seen you, and there's _so_ _much_ I wish to share with you!" She said excitedly as she walked to the sorceress' side.

"Do you?" Maleficent asked coyly this time, her heart drumming inside her. She was getting very hopeful and too quickly— Briar had that effect on her.

"M-hm!" Rose nodded. "You're my only friend outside the castle. My only _true_ friend. How could I not?"

Maleficent's heart sank. It wasn't the word she was hoping to hear.

The princess jumped to hug Maleficent, wrapped her arms around her slender torso, but noticed the tall woman wasn't returning her embrace with the same warmth- or any -as before.

"Is there something wrong, Mallie?" Violet-blue eyes looked deep into cold blue with concern.

"Not at all. You said you had much to share, my sweet… _friend._ I'd like to hear everything," responded Maleficent, trying to mask the pain she felt every time her beloved princess called her _a friend._

"Oh! Right! Come, let's sit by the rowan tree."

Rose dragged Maleficent with her by the hand, lacing their fingers. Maleficent looked at their hands, heart beating fast, aching deeply, but there was still that silver lining: her torturous, _stupid_ hope.

Rose told her about her meeting with Prince Stephan. How it had been nothing like her worst fears. They had been promised to each other from birth, and even if the princess was submissive in nature, she _loathed_ having choices be made for her. But this meeting had shown her it wasn't _so_ bad. She could do it.

Stephan had been kind, and she felt she could go on with this wedding. It was her duty as princess, anyway, but she'd actually grown fond of her parents' choice of partner during these days they got to know each other. Stephan had taken the time to come meet her first because he didn't feel right with the arrangement either. They were alike in many ways, and Stephan having come all the way just to ask Briar if she was sure about it or not, so they could put an end to the tradition of arranged marriages, showed Princess Briar that he was the kind of man she could share her life with, and the kind of man that would make a good King for her realm in the future.

_Arranged marriage? _Maleficent didn't understand why humans did this.

Dragons were free to choose partners, and being monogamous wasn't even a norm. There weren't really any restrictions to whom they could share themselves with. And if you ignored the enmity between the human race and the dragon race, there was only the inability to conceive together, but that was because the magic in their blood overpowered a human's and thus no product could result from that bond. So, to Mal it was absurd that humans had all these rules and structures for relationships and for enjoying themselves at all. It was all about their duty to making children, protecting their wealth, or insuring their name, but not much about how they truly felt.

Rose's parents had chosen whom their daughter must spend the rest of her life with, mate with, years before she was even born. How ludicrous was that! Should Briar Rose feel the same way Maleficent did, her being a dragon could remain a secret. She was willing to give up her magic - her nature – to live an ordinary human life with her. Maleficent would do anything, really- even use her magic to appear a man, should her Rose request it for any reason. She cared not for body parts, labels, or high morals and religious institutions. There was no excuse why they couldn't be together. Unless, of course, Rose didn't love her.

But how could she know, given her upbringing? Maleficent would show her the truth.

Maleficent questioned Briar and Briar questioned herself, but she reallyliked the prince—she wasn't trying to convince herself or Mallie—and it made Rose lose her temper for the first time with her dragon friend. She was angry and confronted Maleficent at last, demanding from her to be clear about the intention behind criticizing and opposing her engagement and her judge of character.

"Because I love you!" Maleficent finally broke down. "Can't you see?"

Rose stared in awe. She smiled first, but then her smile curled downwards.

While knowing this made her feel something beautiful inside, she also realized she may not be able to return it, and it weighed heavily in her heart. She deeply loved Maleficent, just not the way she desired. She didn't really know, the more she thought about it. It was all so confusing, it made her head spin.

"I've known you for years, and yet you choose this boy you met just a couple weeks ago?" Maleficent grumbled. "He doesn't know you like I do! He only likes you for your beauty, but I— I love you for _who_you are, not because of those magical _gifts_ some stupid fairies bestowed on you on your christening!" Her voice sounded like thunders— or probably they made it thunder, as Rose felt the first droplets of rain fall upon her.

A storm was coming.

Briar Rose was shocked. Hurt. Maleficent was saying something very true. Her fairy godmothers had bestowed on her the gifts of: beauty, music, and joy— which felt like a _curse_. It was why she didn't feel she had any true friends in the world, because any person she came to meet would be influenced by the magic cast upon her. No matter how good or "light" this magic had been in intention, it was _unnatural_ nonetheless. Her whole character wasn't even her own, Briar Rose was a lie and she was broken hearted. She would never find True Love because of this.

But fairy magic didn't affect Maleficent because she was a magical creature of the nature as well, like the fairies that enchanted her, and Rose had felt so happy to become friends with her, to find someone who could look at her and see her as an ordinary person, not their Princess, nor just an object of admiration; she could see her for _her._ _Mallie _felt like the only person in the world who understood her and loved her genuinely— _selflessly. _Maybe too much.

Maleficent wanted Briar Rose _beyond_ logic, to the point of letting her need for her get the best of her, wanting her _selfishly. _Greedily. Dragons weren't exactly _sharing_ once they found something to _treasure_, and Briar Rose was a treasure for Maleficent; something too precious she needed to fiercely protect from the world, even if it meant isolating her to shield her from any harm.

Rose knew she loved Maleficent, she could feel it even when she couldn't recognize her in her anger. But she wasn't sure her love carried romantic desires. _Did it?_ She'd never considered it an option to love another woman, but it _was_ an option, and now that she thought of this idea with her dragon friend, she was deeply confused. Briar apologized for not knowing how to answer to her love confession this moment— that was all she could do.

Maleficent could see through her, the confusion in her eyes. Her princess felt something, too. This was new to her, unknown, but Maleficent was impatient. She needed her to realize her feelings before it was too late, before she woke up one day in her husband's bed, thinking what a mistake she'd made.

"Admit it! You want me as much as I want you," Maleficent pressed, clawing at her arms and shaking her.

"I… I don't know," Briar Rose said with a trembling voice, tears starting to pool her eyes as Maleficent kept a firm, unforgiving grip on her.

"Yes you do. You know. Just make up your mind!"

"Stop! I don't— I can't! Not like this." Briar Rose pushed her away with all her strength.

Maleficent's back slammed against the tree.

"Don't make me choose," the maiden said tiredly to her, between strangled sobs.

The dragon sorceress was shocked, even more broken hearted, but the fire in her blood started to boil with the anger. It was inevitable. Dragons had no qualms in expressing their emotions, specially those negative, as they weren't like humans who always wore masks to please everyone else but those who mattered: themselves.

"I'm sorry." Rose was surprised with the violence she had hidden inside herself, looked at her trembling hands, touched her engagement ring, and looked at Maleficent again. "I really am. I love you… Just… not the way you want me to," she averted her eyes from the piercing blue gaze. "True Love doesn't hurt."

Rejection for dragons was just as hurtful as it was for humans, but they also moved on. The problem with Maleficent was she didn't believe the princesses' words. She was sure Briar Rose was lying, not only to her but to herself, too, because it was easier to believe that than to risk taking the chance of being her true self with Maleficent; of being in love with another woman; of being the Princess in love with the Dragon.

"It hurts because you're lying to yourself."

In a blink of an eye, Maleficent was suddenly just a breath apart from her. She had Briar in her arm, holding her steady by the waist with a hand, as the other cupped her chin to lift it gently, while bringing her thick, nude lips so close to touch red rose ones.

Briar felt her heart pound inside her chest much quicker as she thought she was about to be kissed by the older woman, but her kiss never came. She almost forgot to breathe, until she had to take a deep intake of air.

Maleficent removed her hand from Briar's chin to caress golden locks, and tucked them behind the princess' ear gently, eliciting a sigh from the future Queen.

"Since you're so sure of yours and_ his_ feelings, this curse I now bestow on you will easily be broken by the kiss of True Love," Maleficent whispered over Briar's lips, so close she could almost savor them. "If you share it with him, this curse won't be but a mere nap in daytime. So rest now, my sleeping beauty, until we meet again."

"If you truly love me, please don't do this," the maiden pleaded.

"It is because I love you that I must do this, my sweet blossom," Maleficent said sweetly.

"Mallie, please—"

Maleficent didn't let her finish. She pricked Briar's finger with a long needle and took her numb body to the summer palace that was to be Briar's and Stephan's wedding present from her father the King. She left the princess' crown and a note for the King behind them, telling him Briar Rose deserved to choose. That her _heart _would be the one to choose whose kiss would wake her from her sleep-like death and let the realm hear wedding bells again.

And so, Briar Rose slept for years, trapped in a tower in the now Forbidden Fortress_— _Maleficent's acclaimed domain, where as a fierce dragon she protected it from the King's army making failed attempts at slaying her to free their princess.

* * *

During the first year, Maleficent tried each day to wake her with her kiss, to no avail, bringing more misery than joy to her life with this. She had just wanted to love her, but now Briar's light, the music of her laughter, and her warmth had been replaced by nothingness. Still, Maleficent couldn't let go of her. She didn't want Stephan to win. She was broken and wanted everyone to hurt like she was hurting, and continued fighting for a love that would never exist for her. If she couldn't have Briar Rose, nobody else would.

Maleficent read every book she found in the library to her sleeping beauty, all while her father's army dealt with the big wall of thorns she'd summoned with her powerful magic; an impenetrable shield that healed itself, growing back any of the vines that became damaged by the attacks, each new branch all the more sharp and violent. Nothing could get past it. With the right spells - ancient magic - nature could become the most powerful weapon. Maleficent was a force to be reckoned with, and it soon gained her the title "the Mistress of all Evil".

After a decade, Maleficent stopped trying to wake her princess.

After the pain of her first failed kiss, she'd only been kissing Briar's hand, her forehead, her cheek, but could never bring herself to kiss those soft lips that no longer held the color of the red rose in them, no matter how hard she longed to taste them. She just couldn't bare the sensation of emptiness again; it was like kissing death itself. She wanted to kiss them with Rose awake and fully conscious. But that would never happen.

One night, after fighting against a much bigger army made of the forces of two kingdoms united for their Princess, Maleficent lost her _spark_ in the field. Every knight in battle died that night, and Stephan would've died, too, if he hadn't been a coward and hid from Maleficent when the dragon came roaring his name.

In her fury at not seeing him show his face in the field, the dragon unleashed her fire upon all men— something she'd never done before, and only their ashes remained after the smoke ceased.

Maleficent's spells had only and always been reactive, never offensive. This time, though, the Dragon had come out for blood.

Briar's father gave up after that bloody battle. He'd seen the slaughter from afar, too old to fight, and he and Stephan ran to safety, defeated. The King died a month later from natural causes, but everyone knew it was from the sorrow it caused him to lose his only daughter and future of the realm.

After the big clash, Maleficent was weak, injured, and losing her spark was the worst thing that'd happened to her since losing Briar's heart to that coward. She was sure Stephan was no dream prince. That he'd only asked Rose about her opinion on this marriage, because he didn't have the bravery to confront his father about it and demand he let him choose on his own. He was leaving it to Briar Rose so he could blame her in case she said no; use her as his shield. He was a coward and didn't deserve her. If he did, he would already have saved her and without sacrificing so many soldiers.

Human life was such fleeting thing, perhaps keeping Briar like this was best, Maleficent convinced herself— or tried to. She would live for as long as Maleficent did, or as long as her curse remained unbroken. It could be centuries.

Seasons passed without any fights after the King's death and Stephan's naming as protector of the realm, and Maleficent felt she had nothing left to fight for— _no one_ to fight, and gave into a new addiction that could help her keep her mind off the reality that was her wretched existence and her terrible sin.

She had by now forgotten the melody of Briar's voice, and she'd lost her spark too— her vital magic. She deserved it for what she did to her lovely rose. It was only fair.

_Loveless, powerless, and loneliest._

Even with Briar Rose with her, this wasn't at all what she'd dreamed of. She hadn't planned _possessing_ Rose like this. She loved her, but she had turned into a monster because of jealousy, selfishness, and yet she couldn't just put an end to her misery, break the curse with her death and set Briar free. She was too selfish to let her go, or maybe just as coward as Stephan.

After the King passed away, they stopped the rescuing attempts for a year to mourn, then the Queen named Prince Stephan her hand and protector of the realm. He needed a new army and a different approach, so he waited, planning his next big attack. While in his wait, he received word from no other than Maleficent — a black crow delivered her letter.

_"Have you so soon given up on your one True Love?_

_Or was it always the throne?_

_Asleep, Rose awaits in the garden of thorns._

_If you love her, you'll know to come alone."_

No one had seen the dragon in months. What they could see, though from afar, was the enchanted burning tree they believed Maleficent's warning that anyone who crossed that line, would suffer the same fate— a cruel reminder of that night of fire, blood, and endless screaming.

The fairies assured Stephan Maleficent was powerless. They hadn't seen the dragon because her spark had left her a mere mortal: she was vulnerable. Now was the time to act.

Maleficent had been sober the day she wrote that letter. She had no hope anymore that Briar Rose would ever wake up with her kiss, no matter how many books she read her or how much love she put into her innocent caress, assuring her she only wanted the best for her— to protect her.

Her sweet maiden would never love her the way she desired, and she had turned the princess into her_ prisoner_ as punishment: this wasn't love, she realized in that brief moment of clarity.

It wasn't Rose who was mistaken, it was her. It had always been her.

If she wanted the best for Briar, why had she done this? Why was she _still_ doing it? This obsession had almost turned her completely insane. Her Rose deserved much better, someone who could love her truly. Unlike Maleficent.

Stephan attended to Maleficent's invitation that was more an ultimatum. But he had come with his squire, despite Maleficent's advice to come alone. They found Maleficent waiting for them in her human shape and that gave them hope, even if it still felt dangerous coming to her mighty presence, to the Mistress of all Evil, but their war must end. It had lasted far too long and their realm needed their future Queen to come back home.

"Poor, simple fools! I remember asking you to come alone. Should I turn a Dragon and kill you both?" Maleficent looked at them with disgust. "If you love her at all you will go through this test alone."

"You're powerless, Maleficent, you can't scare us," the prince challenged.

"Am I?" Maleficent said with a threatening, low voice, her glimmering dragon eyes piercing through his. "Are you sure?" She gave a wicked lop-sided smile.

That was all the magic she could conjure, she couldn't truly do anything else without her spark.

Her old spells had remained because her spark had not vanished, but she didn't have the mind to go looking for it or even think it was her life essence the one igniting the tree that looked like endless embers. Her depression and the diluted curse kept her numb for the most part, half-dreaming of a better life and only slightly aware of her surroundings at the same time. But she had resisted her concoction for the last days, only so she could give her princess a chance. There was at least one wrong she could right before parting from this world, however long that might take. She could spend the time living in a half dream.

Stephan exchanged looks with his squire, reconsidered, and dismissed his companion, then came down of his horse.

"Smart boy," Maleficent sneered.

In return, the sorceress pointed with her staff to the maze of thorns.

The Prince took a deep breath as he looked the path he was to enter on his own— a deadly trap for sure.

His body started sweating inside the armor and Maleficent could hear his bones shaking inside the metal case and it quite amused her. She didn't bother to mask it, so she chuckled.

_Why should he trust Maleficent of all people?_

His mind was telling him not to, but the irrationality in his heart was what ultimately won. He was never a good fighter, he had always yielded in his training, but this was not a time to yield. This was the last chance to save the woman he loved and he had to find the bravery in his heart to walk through that maze of death. Trusting Maleficent was Princess Briar's best chance, so he did.

It took him three days to get to the altar where Maleficent placed Briar Rose to sleep in serenity. In his journey he had to fight the vines that would suddenly attack him, but all his effort and the wounds he gained on the way to his fair maiden were _worth it _the moment his True love opened those violet-blue eyes after he gently kissed her. With the magic that accompanied their kiss, the garden of thorns turned to dust around them as a beam of colorful light traveled their entire realm. They were finally free to have their fairytale wedding.

_But not a happily ever after._

Maleficent _wasn't_ redeemed. She realized as she saw her precious Rose go, she didn't really want her to be happy even if it wasn't with her. She'd had a moment of _weakness,_ induced by mixed feelings and adulterated potions— guilt. The ache remained; it didn't leave with Briar. It was always present, the hatred, the emptiness, that void in the pit of her stomach that never ceased, fueled by her new addiction that kept her half-awake, half-asleep in this forsaken place. But at least it helped keep the dragon at bay.

Her humanity was a punishment for her sins; it was her prison. And as human she wouldn't live as long. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad punishment in the end.

* * *

When Regina showed up in her door, years later, she found a tormented soul that mirrored her own, and couldn't accept that someone as powerful as Maleficent, would have given up.

_What could she expect if even the Mistress of all Evil had been defeated? _No! Regina would reignite her fire, help her recover her spark and have her comeback— her revenge. And she did.

_So powerful… so beautiful… and yet so broken_._ Just like me._

Two broken souls would come to bond over their losses.

Regina helped her remember who she was—a _blazing dragon_ that would stop at nothing until getting what she wanted, and for that Maleficent would always be thankful. Even when the sleeping curse they cast on Briar's daughter, Aurora, would soon be broken, she didn't care. Maleficent discovered it didn't affect her anymore. She'd found something—someone—more endearing than her Briar Rose. And as impossible as it seemed, it gave her hope for a brighter future.

Regina was both dark and light, bitter and sweet, innocent and corrupted all the same— she was _perfection_ made human_._ Maleficent was falling again. But she didn't want to suffer the same pain, so she learned from her mistakes. Without the drugs, and a new clarity of mind, she could see what choices were best so she wouldn't be torn apart, nor would she cause Regina the same torment she gave Princess Briar Rose.

The Mistress of all Evil was to be buried in the past.


	7. Once Upon a Dream

_Summary: As Maleficent recalls the past she finds some situations that resonate with her present and thus she tries to make better choices. We also have some more insight into Regina's own unfulfilled wishes. In her own journey, Emma comes to find a little more about herself as her subconscious takes her for a wild trip. __Canon divergence: Regina's infertility has a different story. WARNING: mentions of rape (Leopold)._

* * *

**Once Upon a Dream**

* * *

Regina would always run to Maleficent after the King had touched her, to have her special friend help her erase the feeling of his possessive hands on her, replacing the awful memory for that of soft and gentle touches, of long, blonde hair, and very warm and silky skin on hers.

Maleficent never rejected her. But loving this girl came so easy the dragon was fearful of suffering the same pain of Rose all over, the same intoxicating obsession, so she told Regina that theirs could only be a physical relationship to soothe each other. Her little Queen accepted and this arrangement only made Regina hold even tighter to the memory of Daniel, keeping him alive in their conversations, daydreaming of what could have been. Maleficent did the same with her Briar Rose, but it was to remind herself of what she didn't want to replicate with her new _princess._

It was inevitable to grow fonder of Regina as she watched her mature before her eyes and Maleficent began to worry when she saw her light be overcome by darkness, lose her balance, slowly becoming more and more the Evil Queen. Maleficent had been holding back in fear of turning Regina into her prisoner like she did Briar while she believed she was saving her, but instead she watched her become the new Mistress of all Evil, and later it would be Regina who made Maleficent her prisoner.

She tried to convince her to stop, to leave Rumplestiltskin and her revenge. Time had proven to her that good — _love _— always won and theirs were lost causes because they were rooted in hatred. But Regina was unmoving. She was choosing revenge. Besides, it was Maleficent who had made their "no strings attached" rules from the beginning and extinguished any of Regina's innocent dreams of eloping together; of leaving forever the perverted man she had been forced to marry.

There was a time young Regina believed they could fight the King and his army together, kill them all, if Maleficent would only fall for her. She'd done this for Briar, why couldn't she do it for her? Was she blind? Couldn't she see it in her eyes how she begged her to be rescued from that castle that was her prison? But salvation never came. She only got older and more resentful, manipulated by people who could exploit her need for recognition by offering her power to make everyone do as she desired.

It wasn't too late for this, Maleficent hoped. Hoped she could still be in time to prevent Regina—what was left of her—from becoming fully the Evil Queen. She didn't want to lose this girl to the same darkness that had consumed her. She would love her either way, some darkness couldn't deter her, but she knew Regina would come to loathe herself the way Maleficent did and that was a feeling she didn't wish upon her.

The night Regina came to Maleficent sharing her different plans on how to kill the King without being found out, the dragon offered to share her spark with her, asking if she would like to be her dance companion: turn a dragon and fly the skies together. _Be free together._

Regina in her adventurous nature and hyped state, took this for one of their games, unaware she had just accepted to take the special dance with the dragon_, _ignoring that for a dragon to share its spark with you meant literally to share life together. Their bond would be immortal in a way.

Maleficent was giving up half her spark; Regina her ability to conceive a child, and a big part of her remaining light magic.

Regina's inability to provide the realm with another heir could be blamed on the King's old age- it already was. It had taken him years before conceiving Snow with Eva, so it wasn't the young and healthy Queen the people of the Enchanted Forest believed _defective_. If anything they pitied her. They once used to pity the one woman they would learn to fear the most.

In human folklore _The Dragon Dance_ was the breeding season, where dragons burned down villages to show their power, claiming ownership over the land near the mountains, announcing they would soon make nest. It was accurate, but not the whole story. Nobody imagined it could happen between a dragon and a human, with steep magic at play.

Regina was a sorcery apprentice and a brilliant one at it; Maleficent assumed she understood her offer to full extent. But when she realized Regina was only having fun and had no idea what they had just shared, she refrained from telling her. It had been a mistake. _What was she to say?_ She had just cursed Regina to create life exclusively with her. At least there was the chance if Regina ever found True Love, her lifetime bond to Maleficent would become undone, so the dragon kept it secret once she realized her apprentice had missed that part of the lecture.

Months passed and Regina's summoning of her became farther in between after the _rising_ Evil Queen tricked a genie into killing her despicable husband. Without the King, Regina needn't Maleficent's nightly comfort any longer. The Evil Queen soon found a pet to please her, doing to him exactly what she had been forced to endure all her married days. She was fully broken, repeating what she'd learned, always looking for people to make suffer her same pain.

Now that Regina was free, Maleficent posed a threat to her plans to cast the dark curse. She could become a weakness if she let her old hopes with the Dragon control her and make her stray. That was how Regina saw her after darkening her heart: as another enemy. And she carried a grudge because Maleficent didn't offer more when she needed it the most. It was too late now. Regina was dead and Maleficent would be punished as well for letting her slip through her fingers.

_Long live the Evil Queen._

* * *

Maleficent tried to relax in her bath, summoned a glass of champagne in her hand, took a sip and closed her eyes, going back to her time guarding the precious life growing inside that beautiful shell.

A tear rolled down her cheek at the memory of losing her daughter.

Even though she recovered her, it still brought much pain knowing Lily had to grow up without her mother, under the custody of people who couldn't understand her. Part human, part dragon, she was different in her nature. There was more to Lily than just a rebellious attitude; she had been trapped inside a human vessel for too long. She hadn't ever been able to spread her wings—_be free, _and that was added to the unfair darkness they cursed her with.

Taking her mind off those painful memories and back to the present, Maleficent could notice Lily wasn't very fond of Regina. Her daughter had told her about her _almost_ relationship with Emma when they were teens, but said she felt nothing for her anymore. But Maleficent wasn't blind; she had noticed the way her daughter looked at Henry and Regina, with jealousy and anger. Emma and Regina would forever be connected through their child, just like they were.

_Emma's son. _Maleficent sighed deeply.

It was absurd Regina had found a son in the son of the Savior but was unaware of her own child. Their world would have been so much different if she'd known she had a daughter with Maleficent: the child Emma's parents banished to a land with no magic, forced to grow up miserable while she – Regina – gave Henry everything that should have been Lily's.

Their child should have been with her, not _Emma's._

But she couldn't blame Emma for that; it had been her parents, this was clear for her. Just as it was clear she would be lying to herself if she didn't accept she felt_something_ when she saw Emma with Regina. But— _no_ — she was done with jealousy. She was done with being possessive; it never ended well. It only caused more pain than any satisfaction it might bring momentarily when you believe you _own_ someone. People aren't objects.

When you really love someone, all you wish for is their happiness, and all happiness involves having more love around you. If Emma truly loved Regina she should be happy for it. Regina deserved all the love life could offer her to make up for the torment it fed her in her early years.

Maleficent got out of bath, wrapped herself in a bathrobe and finished her champagne as she looked out the balcony in her room, up to the stars.

"I may have to love you from afar, dear Regina," she said into the darkness of the night.

She knew Lily only forced herself to be nice with Regina for the sake of her, and kept insisting to learn more about her origins because she wanted to know about her father. She wanted to know about the other half of the equation of her _making_. _Perhaps he was a kick ass dragon whose mere mention of his name instilled terror in the hearts of men? _Maleficent was too good for just any male in her daughter's eyes and she had this feeling that her other parent wasn't ordinary at all.

_Regina, the Evil Queen._ Maleficent was proud of that, but would Lily be?

It wouldn't be easy to break the news for either of them when the time came. If she was honest, she didn't want to let them know ever, but this was a ticking bomb in her hands she couldn't just sit idle in wait for it to blow up on her face. She would have to tell them soon and hope for the best. This was why once again the dragon couldn't allow herself to fall deeply for Regina. If Lily didn't accept her other mother, it would hurt too much to let her go again. She wouldn't choose a lover over her own flesh and blood, even if it were the very parent of her child.

Maleficent's love could only be fully devoted to Lily, her little spark of joy- her _miracle._

* * *

Emma was in bed when she heard she got a text message. She picked her iPhone from the nightstand and unlocked it to read it.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Regina sent her.

Emma's vision was a little blurry because she'd been trying to fall asleep, and was sure she must have read that wrong. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus her sight to read the message again.

_I can't stop thinking about you._

Emma's heart was beating so fast even her fingers were shaking as she tried to type out a response, but she stopped when she saw Regina was writing another message in whatsapp.

"You left me yearning for a good night kiss… and maybe a little more. How cruel of you."

_Holy shit. Fuck. What the hell is going on?_ Emma couldn't believe her eyes.

"Where do you want me?" Emma replied.

"Everywhere. But for tonight my vault will do."

"On my way."

She drove as fast as she could and cursed her metal coffin on wheels because it wasn't fast enough. The road to Regina's vault felt so long she was going insane, but finally she made it there. She had never felt this excited to be at Regina's creepy vault, but for a moment the idea crossed her mind that maybe Regina had meant to send those messages to Maleficent but got it wrong. _Whatever._ She would still be answering to that midnight booty call and see what happens. If it wasn't Emma Regina was expecting, she would at least make sure she ruined it for the dragon bitch._ Fuck yeah Swan to the rescue!_

"Regina?"

Emma looked where they always met to practice magic, but she wasn't there.

"Close, but not close enough, dear."

Regina's husky voice came from the other room, from the mysterious one she kept locked and forbidden to everyone.

Emma was nervous and didn't know what to expect, but one thing was sure and it was she wasn't ready for the sight that greeted her when the doors opened to reveal Regina with her back to her, wearing only underwear; a crimson ensemble of expensive lace, complete with stockings, fingerless gloves and some SERIOUS _fuck me_ black pumps with silver metal heels.

_Hot dam!_ Emma felt she would combust.

"I heard you like red," Regina sensually said to her from over her shoulder. "Now don't be shy and come to me, _Em-ma._"

_Oh yes, oh yes. Fucking YES!_

"Yes, Savior, do come closer if you'd like a taste."

It was now Maleficent's voice Emma heard.

_Oh hell no._

Emma was beginning to back down, but Regina walked up to her in her hot heels from hell, gently put her hands around her neck and leaned to whisper in her ear: "I thought you wanted to play," the brunette said faking innocence as she brushed her lips over Emma's earlobe. "We could have so much fun together," she moaned into Emma's ear and the younger woman felt a wave of heat rise in her intimate parts.

_Holy shit, Satan!_ Emma felt very horny but she didn't want to admit it.

"I can smell your arousal, naughty girl, it's no use to deny your lust," Maleficent was now behind her.

Emma was caught in between Regina and Maleficent. She was being sandwiched!

_O.M.G._

_Calm down, Emma, you can handle this, you're the fucking Savior._

_Oh shit! Oh shit!_

"I'm not big on sharing…" Emma finally could talk.

"You don't have to," Regina told her as she turned to smile to Maleficent.

"We'll do that for you, little duckling," Maleficent said.

The two experienced sorceresses worked in team to begin removing Emma's red leather jacket carefully, all while Emma was still debating whether to stay or if she should poof away. But she was taking her time to decide and it only could mean she didn't really want to go.

_Fuck it!_

Emma pulled Regina closer and kissed her hungrily, letting her hands roam that body she'd longed to touch ever since they shared that apple cider in her library.

_Mmmh,_ Regina moaned into the kiss as Emma squeezed her ass, meanwhile Maleficent cupped Emma's breast from behind, under her shirt, causing Emma to moan this time. The Sheriff had come bra-less.

"Good girl," Maleficent praised her. "Now let us see what the White Knight hides under her armor."

Emma lifted her arms and allowed Regina to pull out her tank top and Maleficent removed her hands to reveal Emma's beautiful, perky breasts.

"You look _delicious_, Miss Swan," Regina said, touching gently her toned abs.

In a different context hearing Regina _"Miss Swan"_ her would have sent her off, but in this one, sweet lord have mercy on her soul, she was so aroused.

"You've always had a good taste in women, Regina," Maleficent winked at her.

"She does," Emma admitted.

Maleficent was breathtaking too, no lie. Emma was so hot this moment she was finding it easier and easier to interact with the both of them in this bizarre scenario. She turned her head to the side and Maleficent understood the invitation to kiss the pink lips of the Savior, and blue eyes locked gazes with a very aroused Regina that was enjoying the view.

Regina placed her mouth over Emma's left breast and suckled at her nipple gently, all while Maleficent's sneaky hands began working at the jean's zipper to ease it down.

_Oh my God!_ Emma was super horny.

"Fuck me," she found herself nearly begging.

"Whom?" Regina asked.

"I don't care as long as you get me off."

Maleficent and Regina grinned at each other.

"You met her first, Regina, it's only fair you get the honors," Maleficent said.

"_Unless_ you're ready for the… _double _fun, dirty girl," the dragon woman smacked Emma's ass.

And with that spank, Emma finally woke up from her wet dream.

_Oh my fucking God, what the hell was that?!_

* * *

Note: Can you believe I made an update? I hope this sticks. I really want to finish this one.


	8. Made of Flesh and Tears

This will be a little intense.

* * *

**Made of Flesh and Tears**

* * *

Emma decided not to let the Dragon get to her, and grab the bull by the horns and make a bolder move towards Regina, since clearly Regina appreciated boldness more than anything. The time they'd butted heads more often had also been when they felt the more drawn towards each other in a twisted game of power- of _domination _over the other_._ _Two could play the game_, the sheriff was determined to not let Maleficent's little territorial display deter her. So far Regina had reacted positively to her small advances, she hadn't drawn a line or anything; that must mean something, right?

Time to woman up.

Emma put on some make up, threw on a olive-green blouse that highlighted her eyes, and wore her hair down in loose curls. She had noticed Regina would look at her for slightly longer periods when she dressed this way, she remembered well from even before the curse was broken, so she would be dumb not to make good use of this style Regina seemed to specially approve of on her.

When it was lunch break, Emma was looking at her phone, waiting for Regina's call to let her know what she wanted from either Granny's or the new wholesome eatery- Sprouty's -from a dwarf who was tired of working in the mines and loved cooking, and who opened his own local to break the mold. His specialty was salads and hearty soups, the healthy shit Regina preferred over Granny's greasy food. And when the call came in Emma had to resist picking up, letting it send Regina to voicemail. A second ring came, this time to the Station's line, and Emma took her time to answer, taking the phone just before Regina hang up.

"Hard at work, Sheriff?"

_God! Why was Regina's voice always so sensual?_ Emma swallowed hard, but reminded herself she had a plan.

"Could be _harder,_" Emma responded suggestively, "Instead I'm doing _fucking_ papers on my desk when I could be doing something much more _fun;_ like getting people in handcuffs, you know: getting the heart _pumping_."

That was an unexpected answer and it surprised the mayor for a moment, giving her some sinful ideas, but it was very unlike Emma to openly flirt she tried to usher the thought away, and suddenly found herself not remembering what she was even about to ask.

_Nailed it._

The silence in the other end of the line indicated Emma she had delivered her message, or at least planted the seed of doubt.

"But you wouldn't know; all you do on your desk is papers, huh?" Emma further teased her.

Regina was sure now Emma was very much flirting, and it was amusing. _Fine, I'll play._ Regina decided to test Emma and see if she was good on the money and able to keep up with the game or burnout before even making it to _first_ base.

Should be fun.

"Wouldn't you like to find out, Miss Swan?"

"Maybe I do."

"If you insist... I also like _eating out_ on my desk. _Lunch_." Regina paused to make the desired effect. "Which is actually why I called. Shouldn't _you_ be on _my desk_ this moment?"

_Things heating up in the magister's office, _Emma fanned herself.

"Be there as soon as you name what you want from me— I mean, for me to get you."

Regina licked her lips. She was enjoying this unexpected, mischievous exchange.

"Today I feel like getting a _sandwich,_ please. Oh and hurry up. I've a meeting in sixty-three minutes, better make the best with the time we got, hmm."

_Fuuuuuuuck. _Shit was getting real; Emma was hyperventilating. But she stood her ground and poofed to Sprouty's and said she would pay double if he made her order in record time. And he did. As soon as the take out bag was in Emma's hand, the woman poofed out and appeared in Regina's office with no other announcement of her arrival than her impertinence.

"Ready to be _sandwiched,_ Madam May—_ fuck._" Emma's bag fell from her hand. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Miss Swan…" Regina glared at her. And for a moment Emma really thought Regina would ignite her, literally.

The Mayor wasn't alone. Regina was talking with _her_ father.

_God could it be any worse?_

David looked at both women with sheer confusion, but ignored the innuendo; he wasn't exactly quick enough to catch such details. He was more mortified about his daughter's colorful vocabulary.

"Let me help, Emma," her father helped pick up the bag from the floor. Luckily the containers weren't as flimsy as Granny's, and nothing spilled, just slightly messed up.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked him, suddenly looking like she was the one being offended.

"Came to ask Regina to talk to Maleficent about her daughter and their flying lessons."

Emma's eyes went wide at that. She thought she heard him say 'their' daughter, but it couldn't be. Regina wouldn't be as neutral. And that would be super weird. She tilted her head lightly to a side and decided to think about something else.

"And you? Having lunch together again?" Her father asked her this time.

"Ugh, was going to…" Guilt crossed over Emma's features.

If only he knew she actually planned- or at least fantasized -eating out the mayor, right over her pristine desk.

"But she just ruined our _eating out_ session," Regina deliberately teased. She knew it would fly David what she really meant, but not Emma.

Emma turned bright red in her face and cleared her throat, passing some saliva nervously.

"We can still sandwich. I mean," Emma shook her head, "We can still eat the sandwich, it's not totally spoiled..."

"You do that. I have to get back to the shelter. The animals are very scared every time those dragons are out on the sky; it's like they feel their presence and feel they are out hunting or something."

David kissed her forehead and made his way out, leaving both women alone.

Emma was completely lost now. All her bravado had diluted with this uncomfortable little incident. She should've knocked.

Regina studied her features, reading her perfectly. She rose from behind her desk and approached Emma. Slowly, she took the bag from her hand, retrieved the container with her lunch and placed it on the desk. But as Emma was unable to react, thinking so many things at once, Regina decided to stop teasing her and give her a break. Emma was not cut to be _Domme_ material or take the lead. Though it had been fun and even cute to see her try.

Who knew teasing Emma Swan could be so entertaining?

Regina turned around after placing the food container on the desk so they would share, like they did almost daily now. She was about to go back behind her desk, when Emma did react, pressing her body against hers before Regina turned her back to her, pushing her gently back until Regina's butt met with her desk, sandwiched in between it and Emma.

"Time for our sandwich, huh," Emma leaned forward, coming very close to Regina's face, but slid her right hand past Regina's hip to take one of the triangles of sandwiches in the container behind Regina's backside and brought the modest portion to her mouth to bite at it, never averting her eyes from Regina's incredulous stare.

_Take it back._ Emma could very well surprise her.

"Miss Swan, this is not very appropriate," her voice was husky and wanton. "What if your father came back and found us in this compromising position? He may not be the lewdest, but even all his innocence wouldn't be enough to stop him from thinking we're doing something… sexual."

Emma chuckled at that. "I'm only standing here, hardly doing anything sexual. Just enjoying my meal," she feigned innocence.

Emma moved her left hand to lightly touch Regina's waist, making her shiver, but only to move her slightly to a side so she could reach the glass of water Regina had on her desk. Emma brought it to her lips and drank from it, from the same spot Regina's lipstick had left its print, looking at Regina as Regina observed her, knowing exactly what Emma was suggesting.

Regina licked her own lips, feeling the heat rise in her body. She thought about Maleficent for a moment, but her Dragon lover had insisted they keep an open mind, so why not try the Savior? It was innocent fun and Emma seemed very much into testing her as well. They always knew, deep down, the day would come; all that bicker and teasing had always carried sexual tension.

"You don't wanna bite?" Emma asked, bringing the little piece of bread and ham close to Regina's mouth.

Regina looked with lust into green eyes, and opened her mouth and allowed Emma to feed her. After swallowing, she took Emma's left hand still holding the glass of water in it, and brought it to her mouth, too, to drink from.

Emma felt she would combust, Regina was too fucking sexy and she couldn't resist it anymore, and went forward to kiss her lips. Regina_ oomphed_ as she was surprised by the kiss, but gave into it, opening her mouth to show Emma she could use some tongue if she wanted and of course she did.

Regina made the glass vanish from Emma's hand, as did all the stuff over her desk and Emma took the cue to lift her from the floor and perch her over the sturdy counter. Regina's legs parted to allow Emma to better adjust herself in between them, riding up Regina's skirt with her hands to make it easier and to squeeze her thighs firmly, making her moan not too shyly.

Their kiss was quickly evolving into something else and now Emma was kissing Regina's neck, but she got so carried away she unconsciously sucked too hard and actually gave the mayor a hickey. Regina finally reacted at that.

"Emma! What the hell?" She pushed her away.

"Oh my God! I got carried away. Sorry." Emma shrugged sheepishly.

"You don't say."

Regina got up from her desk and moved over to the mirror on the wall, to inspect the damage. She had a meeting and now she had to cover her neck or else everyone would be more interested in that redish-purplish spot on the side of her neck and the story behind it than in whatever she had to say.

Emma was embarrassed, but more than embarrassed she was angry at her dumb slip because she ruined the momento. She had Regina right where she had been fantasizing to have her for quite some time now, only to ruin it again.

_Fuck._

Regina was burdened by the loss of contact, and then remembered she had magic and didn't need to make such a scandal, and hovered her hand over the love bruise to make it disappear so they could resume their naughty little lunch break. But it didn't.

_What the loving hell?_

Regina closed her eyes momentarily and opened them again. _Maleficent._

She remembered she had cast a naughty spell so the prints she left in Regina's skin would not vanish until she wanted them to wash away. So now some how that magic had mixed with Emma's own branding impulse and Regina grumbled as she was caught between two possessive lovers who loved to leave their mark on her body as testament of their frisky games.

"I should know better than to trust blondes by now," Regina reminded herself. Again.

"Huh?" Emma approached cautiously.

"I've lost the mood."

"I'm sorry. I was very… horny."

"We're not teenagers, Emma. Just…" Regina sighed, "Let's forget all this and just go on with our day."

"What?" Emma looked at her like she was nuts. "I'm not just going to forget I had the most amazing make out session in my life with you."

"Emma. Listen to me," Regina was serious. "We got carried away—_I_ got carried away. What just happened, we shouldn't have done that. It was a mistake."

"Woah…" Emma ran her hand through her hair. She turned on her heel, offended, and began walking to the door.

"No, wait! Emma, I'm sorry." Regina caught up with her. "Will you please look at me?"

Emma glared at her. But behind her angry look, Regina could see tears gathering behind her eyes. Emma was hurting. This really had been a mistake, but Regina didn't want to break her heart further. She really cared about Emma.

"This was… _amazing_. I accept that," she said warmly, and saw how the light came back to Emma's eyes. "But—"

"Come on," Emma rolled her eyes.

"Emma. We can't be playing games; we have a son together who could get hurt. I don't want to give him any false hope."

Fuck. That hurt like a bitch, but Emma got it.

"I understand. So you've… chosen."

Regina was lost for a small moment, but then it clicked; Emma meant Maleficent. Even if Regina had said things between her and Emma were complicated, she had still welcomed her advances and let her feel there was a chance. She looked at Emma with soft eyes and took a step closer. She was about to touch her face when Emma took a step back.

"Don't touch me! I can't deal with your pity right now," Emma let out a sob. "That's what this was, right? You were giving me crumbs out of pity. Wow."

"Emma, no! That's not—How can you even think I would get this far with you if I didn't like you at all? Don't insult yourself and don't insult me."

"But? But- What the fuck is this then? I'm so confused."

"Me too, Emma. Me, too."

Emma looked into Regina's eyes and saw she was telling her the truth, and calmed down. But it didn't hurt any less.

"I feel things for you, but I also have feelings for Mal. I… Emma, we're different. Maleficent and I, we don't believe in exclusivity."

"That's a fucking lie right there, Regina. But you know what; I don't want to get caught between your mess. *I* could _never _share, so we better not even try."

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"We're not even dating!" Emma didn't know if she should laugh or cry at that.

Regina felt something break inside, but she kept herself from showing it.

"You're right. We should end whatever it is we have. Now."

"Yeah." Emma stomped her feet on her way out.

Some lunch break it was.

* * *

Maleficent had left her own hickeys all over Regina's body, but had been sensitive enough not to mark her where they would draw attention from the public. She knew this from the time she had done the same when Regina was Queen. But Emma – _sigh_ – she was so impulsive and didn't think with her head when she was horny, it was like making out with an adolescent, hiding behind the bushes before riding class was over and Cora came looking for them. Their relationship felt like what two horny teenagers would do together, and while that added some edge to it and it actually reminded her of her first love Daniel; maybe it wasn't really what Regina needed at this stage in her life. She had grown up, and finally moved on. What she wanted was stability and a mature relationship— an _adult_ relationship with roots.

This kiss had revealed to Regina a lot about her own development and the growth Emma still needed in her own path. It was for the best for them to go their separate ways. It had taken them too long to try and their momento was long gone.

_Maybe if they had kissed before they parted ways the first time._

But Regina hadn't dared, and Emma didn't notice; she had been more receptive of Hook's advances back in Neverland than the meaning behind Regina's gift when she gave up the thing- _people_ she loved most.

Like she thought just a moment ago; Emma still had room to grow. But would have to do on her own, or with someone more her age. No matter what, she would always occupy a special place in her heart, and not just because of their son.

Regina summoned a black sateen scarf to complement her purple dress, and fixed it around her neck in an elegant French style. It wasn't completely weird looking but it was a little off due the warm day and she just hoped nobody would pay too much attention to it. It wasn't like she was having a meeting with the Fashion Police, just some angry denizens and Deputy Nolan.

* * *

After the meeting was over, Regina decided to be good on her word and visiting Maleficent to talk about their flying lessons. They were starting to disrupt the harmony in the small town and she didn't want people signing petitions to ban them completely from flying. And it wasn't just flying; Lily had spat fire near a camping site accidentally, and though nothing happened, as Maleficent quickly reacted, turning to her human shape and putting off the fire with her magic before anyone was hurt, it still had been dangerous and violated their environmental laws.

"Mom's out," Lily answered the door.

"Do you know if she will be back soon? Perhaps I can wait for her? I need to talk to her, and also with you, if that's not a problem."

Lily sized her, then moved aside and opened the door fully so she could come in.

"It's your town. I guess I have no choice, do I?"

Regina tensed at that. Lily was usually nicer, but that must be because Maleficent had been around.

"You always have a choice."

Lily chortled sarcastically at that. "You didn't give me one when you fucking cut my hand, bitch. Which, by the way, fuck you very much."

"Lily!" Maleficent's voice came from behind Regina.

"What, it's true!" Lily bristled. "She did!"

"Still, that's no way to speak to our visitors. And she's more than just a passerby, you know that."

"Just because you fuck her that doesn't make her my mother!" Lily passed them, bumping their shoulders with hers. She transformed into a dragon once she was out on the street, and took flight.

"About that," Regina pointed at the flying dragon, "I actually came here to talk about Lily."

Maleficent stressed at that, at what her daughter had just said, and at the possibility Regina suspected or knew about her relationship to Lily. The time had come but she wasn't ready. She had thought a lot about what she would say, but now that the moment was here, she had no words.

"May I come inside?" Regina pointed to the house.

"Yes, of course. Come on in."

They sat at the island in the ample kitchen and Maleficent poured some chamomile and lavender tea for them. She knew _she_ would need it.

"Has my daughter caused you any trouble? I mean, beside the obvious. You know I can make up for any sum there is to pay."

"There's no need. Why I come here today is to ask you to reduce your flying sessions. There are complaints…" Regina gave her an apologetic smile.

"Of course there are," Maleficent sipped from her tea. "People always judge what is different from them; what is special."

Regina nodded. "It's not forever. Just… can you keep it under twice a week, preferably nighttime?" Regina knew she was asking too much, but she had no choice; it was that or nothing.

Maleficent sighed. "I can only decide for myself; I make no promises for Lily. She's… not easy. But I will respond for any damages."

"Mal…" Regina reached for her hand across the granite counter. "We need to put limits," she said with sympathy.

Maleficent stiffened at that. "You don't; _I_ do," and retrieved her hand.

Regina was slightly hurt at the wall she felt Maleficent put between them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I know my place, Maleficent. I apologize. She's your daughter; I'm nobody to opinionate on how you raise her. Again, I'm sorry if I've offended you. It was not my intention." Regina was sad, feeling guilty, and got up from her seat to make her leave.

"Don't. It's me who's sorry. I just don't take things too well when it comes to Lily. Now that I have her I don't want to lose her again."

"I know, and understand better than what you give me credit for. But there are limits. And I mean it for all of us. If she doesn't abide to the rules, I will be forced to ban her from flying altogether."

"Regina you can't do that!" Maleficent rose from her seat and took Regina's hands in hers. "Please, that's the same torture as being caged. It will drive her mad."

Regina looked at Maleficent's hands and then at her pleading eyes, glittering with unshed tears. She had done this to this woman: imprison her with no real room to move and that was the worst punishment possible for any winged creature. It went against their nature and broke them not only physically but also mentally. Regina felt like scum for having done this to Maleficent, whose only crime had been to love her too much to fight for her, in fear of committing the same mistakes she did with Briar Rose.

"Please, I beg you. She's getting better, slowly, but she is." Maleficent kissed the back of Regina's hand. "Please don't cut her wings. She's… She's," but Maleficent couldn't bring herself to say it, just weep.

Regina waited, cupping her face in her hands to look at her. Her heart was breaking, too, from seeing her in this state, so hopeless.

"Mal, you're scaring me. She's… what?"

Maleficent rested her forehead on Regina's, crying.

"She's... yours. Ours."

"What. Are. You. Talking. About?" Regina took a step back.

"I'm so sorry." Maleficent broke down, falling on her knees crying with abandon.

"No..." Regina was in denial. It couldn't be possible. She _couldn't_ have children, and it simply didn't work like that… Or it did.

"Maleficent, look at me and tell me the truth!"

"She's half my spark…"

"And I'm the other half…" Regina paced across the kitchen. "Of course, it makes sense now."

"How could you do this to me?! You took that spark of life- my possibility to conceive -without my permission!" Regina was crying, furious. "And here I thought you were the only one who hadn't taken something from me," she growled it.

"It wasn't without consent," Maleficent interjected weakly.

"Don't you dare say that to me; I had no clue."

"I didn't know!" Maleficent spat. "You were the one reading about Dragons in your free time to seduce me."

Regina ran her hand through her hair, connecting everything inside her head.

"It was that- what you call the dragon dance. Fuck," Regina rarely cursed, but this moment fit the occasion.

"Yes," Maleficent wiped her tears away.

"I need to breathe." Regina took her purse and headed to the door.

"Please don't leave me like this," Maleficent yelled behind her.

"I can't stand being near you right now. It's better I leave before I do something I'll regret."

"Regina!" Maleficent called again, but the door slammed shut behind her.

Maleficent didn't move from her location, crying in the kitchen floor until she could no more and fell asleep.

* * *

**Note:** Sorry for sinking SQ. It hurt like bitch to do that. I just don't know how to make it work with DSQ and Henry and Lily- specially since Lily still feels for Emma.


	9. Dark Spark

**Dark Spark**

* * *

Lily went to the cabin where Merida was staying. She knocked on the door with the tip of her dragon tail and the red-haired princess came out to meet her. She joined her by the fire pit and began stroking her face gently as she saw a tear roll down the dark scaly skin.

"You're stuck again." The brave princess continued petting her.

Lily only let out a weak growl in response.

When Lily was specially upset, she wouldn't be able to change back to human easily, but she hadn't told her mother about this, as this usually happened when she remembered what Snow and Charming had done to her, or when she saw Emma and Regina having lunch together at Granny's every other day. It made her stomach churn for more reasons than just her old crush on the Savior; she believed Regina was only playing with her mother, so she didn't like bringing it up because it would also hurt her, and seeing Maleficent work so hard to make up for their lost time, made her feel empathy and not want to see her sad, and neither did she want to worry her.

Lily had always felt different and misunderstood, trapped in a life that wasn't her own, and her adoptive parents could never get through her shell no matter how hard they tried. Her adopted father was a prominent real estate agent and her mother an architect. But as Lily grew, so did their business, and they became more and more busy when they gave birth to a new baby: an architectural firm. She felt invisible and alone for the most part; her loneliness and anger becoming too unbearable, and so she ran away. She flee because she felt like a bird trapped in a golden cage. It wasn't luxury or spring trips with her _fake _friends what Lily wanted from her parents; it was time, company, and patience.

And that was exactly what living with Maleficent was providing her. Her mother didn't want to miss a minute of their time together; she would always put her first, even before Regina her lover. And though she appreciated it, being this special to someone; some times it was overbearing. Lily wasn't used to so much attention, but understood Maleficent needed this as much as she did, so she tried to turn it back a notch with her coldness. She wished she knew how to reciprocate some of that warmth and love radiating from Maleficent, be more affectionate; she wasn't very open but she was trying.

Their flying lessons were Lily's way to bond, her gift to her mom, as much as Maleficent thought _she_ was doing this for her daughter; in her mind it was Lily who was doing it for her mother. Even when her muscles would become sore too quickly, she still tried to keep up with the older dragon and act like it wasn't straining at all. She wanted Maleficent to feel proud of the strong person she'd given birth to, even when she personally might not believe it.

_Oh blow ye the winds o'er the ocean_  
_And blow ye the winds o'er the sea_  
_Oh blow ye the winds o'er the ocean_  
_And bring back my Bonnie to me_

Merida sang a lullaby as she caressed Lily, and after some soothing notes there was a flicker of light and the dragon became a woman again inside her friend's arms. Merida covered her with a quilt she had carried outside with her, and rubbed her arms gently.

"Thank you," Lily smiled to her.

"What happened now?"

"Had a small go at Regina… Wish I had really given her a piece of my mind, but my mom stopped me before I could."

"And? Did she… hurt you?"

"No! She would never. She didn't really yell at me or anything… guess I'm not used to her being angry with me. She had never looked at me the way she did today and I felt like crap."

"I'm sorry," Merida squeezed her hand.

"I just can't find my place, I don't fit anywhere. I thought I did here, but I'm not so sure anymore." Lily huffed.

"That's two of us. I miss DunBroch. When I left home looking for a new adventure, I never imagined I would end up being carried over to this world in a curse. I thought I'd be back before a new moon."

"We haven't found a bean. And after today, I wont ever be able to gain Regina's trust so we can have a look in her vault."

"Guess we'll have to break in," Merida arched her eyebrows playfully at Lily.

"You really want me to come with you to your kingdom?" Lily looked into her eyes.

"Pfff… want? I demand!" Merida tickled her. "I'll be the first dragon rider in me land."

"Silly." Lily slapped her hand playfully.

"You would like it there. We don't belong here."

"Yeah…"

"Let's get inside. It's very chilly now the sun's down." Merida offered her hand, but as soon as Lily was up, she set for the run. "Last one's the bottom!"

"Hey! That's cheating! You know I like the top."

Lily had to sleep in the bottom bunk bed.

* * *

Maleficent couldn't deal with the weight of guilt, with Regina's anger and possible hate, and neither did she know how she would be able to tell Lily the truth about her other parent; tell her it was the same woman she loathed with passion. This was the worst night of her life and the only thing she could do to somehow cope, was to recur to an old ally: her Nightshade elixir.

When Lily found Maleficent passed out in the kitchen the next morning, she was even more furious at Regina because this had obviously been her handy work. She hated her more than ever and she wanted to hurt her the way she had hurt her mother, and decided to pay her a visit. She didn't even give a chance to her mother to explain anything, as soon as Maleficent had told her she was fine, she set out on her witch hunt.

* * *

When Regina answered to the knock on her door, she never expected to find Lily. The scene of last night's revelation had kept her awake through the entirety of the night, thinking so many things and what could have been, and she didn't feel ready to face her _daughter_ again. Not so soon. And yet here she was; looking at her with fire burning in her eyes, _hating_ her even more than she was accustomed to see reflected in those brown eyes, which she now saw were her own mirror.

_Had Maleficent told her the truth?_

"Lily…" Regina breathed out. "How may I help you?" She asked nervously.

Regina opened the door and took a step back so Lily could come into the foyer. She was still in her nightgown, wrapped in a silk robe, and wanted to keep the drama and sight from prying eyes outside. Her hickey didn't go unnoticed however, now there was no scarf to hide it, which only added to fire burning behind her daughter's eyes because her mind went immediately to the woman Regina shared a child with.

"How about you leave my mother the fuck alone and stay the hell out of our lives!"

"Excuse me?" Regina was shocked.

"Go fuck yourself!" Lily spat.

Regina was ready for it, but actually hearing all these insults come from her own flesh and blood was a different story. Lily's words now had a different impact than they did before and Regina wasn't sure how to receive it; she didn't know whether to take it all in, let her vent, or actually put limits because she was her mother, too, and she had to respect her. But then again she hadn't done much in her brief time knowing her to earn Lily's respect, especially about how they met.

Lily's loath hit her more deeply than she initially thought it would. It hurt almost as much as when Henry kept calling her the Evil Queen and running to Emma's side; an old wound was tearing open again and she felt her heart bleed.

"You have no right to give my mom hope and then come and fucking tear her heart to shreds. Who the fuck do you think you are? Just because you run this fairy crap hellhole that doesn't give you the right to play with people, use them as you please and then throw them away like an old toy that lost its spark!"

That answered Regina's first question_: Lily didn't know. _And the unfortunate choice of words struck a chord.

"I've_ never_ seen your mother as a toy," Regina refuted. "And I would appreciate it if you stopped insulting me in my own home," she said firmly.

"Pretty sure you've heard worse, witch!"

"Enough!"

Regina raised her hand but stopped before actually slapping her. She curled her fingers back into a fist and lowered her hand, feeling impotent and regretting immediately she even raised it at all, because she reminded herself of Cora and her punishments. She had never hit Henry and she was not about to start with Lily. This made her deeply ashamed and revived painful memories.

"Go on, I'd like to see you try," Lily pushed her with her palms.

Regina answered with a deep, low tone, "You have _no _idea who you're dealing with, child," holding up her hands with magic glowing in them, but only in defense if she tried to shove her again. But when she saw Lily actually blink her eyes in fear, though she tried to mask it, she softened and withdrew her magic.

"I thought you were the Evil Queen but now I see you're just a glorified cunt. Come on, I dare you; hit me."

Lily just didn't know when to back down from a fight. She was always looking for problems, getting herself in trouble, and Regina remembered she still had Emma's forced darkness inside her: _this wasn't Lily's pent up rage,_ so she took a deep breathe and then exhaled. Now she understood Maleficent's heartache and the reason behind her overprotectiveness and overindulgence; their daughter needed as much love and patience as she could get, because she had two dark forces fighting inside her to coexist, not allowing her light to shine. It affected Lily's mental, emotional, and physical state, and flying was how she quieted this never-ending battle within her.

Regina took a step forward and brought her hand to hover over Lily's forehead, and with her magic she made her hectic mind pause for a moment. Lily just stood there, unable to move, but feeling how some of the excess heat in the back of her brain was being sucked out to allow her too cool down.

"What are you doing to me? Am I going to die?" Lily asked weakly.

Anger and heat and electricity was all she'd ever felt trapped in her body, imploding and rebuilding only to burst again, so this lighter feeling she only felt when she was flying, and it made her think she was floating, like her spirit was drifting away, and then she blacked out.

Regina caught her in her arms.

Maleficent appeared in a smoky cloud, almost tripping as she came to her side.

"What have you done?!" she cried out.

It had cost her too many attempts before she managed to use magic.

Regina looked at Maleficent, at her terrible shape, and was reminded of the day she met her; when she found her in that forsaken fortress, half awake and half asleep in a self-inflicted trance with her gruesome concoction.

"I thought you had stopped doing that!" Regina yelled at her, letting her tears fall.

"I can't…" Maleficent cried weakly. "My daughter. What did you do to my Lily?"

"She's only sleeping. There was too much energy inside her head and I absorbed part of it," Regina answered slowly, feeling her heart break with Maleficent's pain, but tense again at seeing her in this condition she hated, and after yesterday that was the last thing she needed to see.

"Healing spell?" Maleficent looked innocently into Regina's eyes, almost child-like.

"Yes," Regina huffed. "She will be out for a while, but will wake up much lighter."

"Thank you."

"There's no need. She is my daughter, too."

Maleficent smiled at that, but Regina was still mad at her. She looked at their precarious situation and decided it was easier to just engulf the three of them in her magic and poof to her vault, where she had magical supplies to tend to magical injuries.

Regina appeared Lily on the small mattress she kept near her magical stock, and pulled a chest out from a nook, looking through the assortment of ingredients. "We need to sober you up," Regina grumbled at Maleficent as she mixed some ingredients in a silver cup.

After the brew let out some steam and cooled down, she handed it to the disheveled woman.

"Thanks," Maleficent took it in her hand, pinched her nose and had a sip.

"I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for her," Regina was sharp.

"Regardless," Maleficent swallowed the nasty bitter liquid in a gulp. She offered the cup back and when Regina took it, she caught grasp of her hand.

"It's the first time since you saw me quit it, I swear."

"Save it. Nothing you say, I can believe anymore." Regina pulled her hand away.

"Regina, please," Maleficent's eyes clouded, "Don't be so cruel."

"You're the one who was cruel! How could you keep this from me?"

"I had to put my child first, you can understand that."

"You knew you were expecting: you lied. You hid my own child from me."

"You were too far-gone, Regina," Maleficent's voice recovered her edge.

"But I would never hurt my own flesh!" Regina shouted enraged.

Maleficent looked at her in disbelief, and didn't even need to speak to remind Regina she had killed her own father to cast the dark curse.

Regina paled, and cooled down. She went to pour herself a drink and her hand was shaking as she held the glass. Maleficent was right. She had been drowning in resentment and all she wanted was to get her revenge no matter the price; make Snow White and _everyone_ suffer the worst pain: hers. She had even made it her "to-do list" to kill the newborn savior if she found it. An undesired child born from her might not have been enough reason to stray from her vengeance.

"I didn't want you to cast the curse because I needed to look for our daughter, but then- well… it's not worth remembering such depressing memories, or hurting and yearning for _what could have been_ if we had taken a different path."

Now that Maleficent was back to her full senses, Regina could actually look at her and even listen. But she couldn't stop pondering about how different things might have been if she'd know. Regina didn't like the dark truth that she had indeed gone too far. The woman she had become, she did not like; The Evil Queen. But young Regina longed for a family, and there had been a time she'd wanted that to be with Maleficent, and she denied her this. Time was never in her favor.

_But then she wouldn't have Henry._

If she hadn't been infertile, she wouldn't have adopted. If she hadn't cast the curse, she would never have met her son, or her daughter. The goods would always outweigh the bad. Having Henry in her life was a blessing. And now Lily, she wanted to get to know her.

Regina drank the scotch from a gulp and then poured herself another, keeping her back to the woman that had managed to make her feel murderous again.

"I'm so angry at you," Regina told her.

Maleficent walked up to her and gently touched her shoulder.

"I'm very angry at myself, too. Do with me as you may."

Regina turned around and braced Maleficent, burying her face in her chest to hide her tears. Maleficent held her gently, caressing her hair soothingly.

"I didn't mean to steal your spark for my own benefit. Believe me when I say everything I do, I do for love. I just… never get it right. I failed both of you, but I want to do better in the time I have left."

"What?" Regina looked up to meet her eyes.

Maleficent smiled, brushing away Regina's tears with her thumbs.

"My spark is dying. I'm living on borrowed time. Rumple brought me back from the ashes, but he did not breathe new life into me and I'm decaying."

Regina felt a knot form in her throat. "Show me." She took a step back.

Maleficent hovered a hand over her chest and a brilliant yellow and red light- _fire -_moved forming a circle, drawing a window to see the blue spark inside the dragon's ribcage. It was glowing weakly; barely scintillating. The window swirled again, shrinking in size until it was gone.

"Mal…" Regina was worried. "You have to stop shifting, save as much magic as you possibly can until we find a new spark," she said as she placed her hand over her chest.

"We won't be finding it in this land," Maleficent covered Regina's hand with hers. "It's fine. I just never thought I'd be forced to live my last days as a weak human. But it wouldn't be the first time, so it's not too bad."

"How much time do you think you have?"

"Afraid not much…" Maleficent offered an apologetic smile. Regina wanted to cry.

"Could be thirty, maybe forty years the most."

Regina slapped her in the arm then. "You were worrying me for nothing!"

"What? Dragons can live up to a thousand years. I'll be lucky if I make it to five hundred."

"How old are you?"

"Does it really matter? I may have lost track…"

"I guess not." Regina rolled her eyes, but she was almost smiling, her mood was much better than how they started.

They heard noise as Lily stirred in bed, but only to turn to a side and continue sleeping. Or so she appeared to do.

"We need to take Emma's darkness out of her urgently," Regina said, walking to their daughter's side.

"I've been doing everything I can. That's why I've pushed myself so hard and taken Lily flying and hunting almost daily so she can focus some of those destructive impulses and let it out."

"Tell me about it. I've already had my own share—_Wait._ You've been hunting? When did you plan to tell me?" Regina snapped.

"Relax. Only rabbits and the occasional deer in the forest."

Regina gave Maleficent a look that she wasn't buying it.

"_And_ maybe a sheep, a cow… or two."

"Mal! Cattle are private property. No wonder there's so many complaints." Regina remembered flipping through the reports and seeing Bo Peep's name amongst the archive.

"We have an appetite."

"So stop turning into a dragon!"

"Fine. I promise I'll stick to this feeble form."

"Good," Regina inhaled deeply. "So how do we help Lily?"

Maleficent shrugged. "Rumple would come in handy nowadays, but."

"No chance. And I wouldn't want him anywhere near our daughter." It came very natural to Regina.

Lily would have jumped at that, but she had to keep pretending she was sleeping.

_What the fuck had she just heard?_

Maleficent warmed at that. She put her hands on Regina's shoulders and squeezed softly. "It feels so nice to hear you say it," she leaned down lightly, hoping for a kiss, but Regina took a step back.

"I'm still mad at you, don't get me wrong."

"If I could, I would help you heal and recover what I took from you."

"No. I'm more than just my ability to conceive. I didn't need it to experience motherhood and it's just as real," Regina responded promptly. "I just wish I could have been there for Lily as I've been for Henry. She did not deserve this life."

"I know. But she can have us now," Maleficent said softly. "I mean, if there's hope in the horizon for an _us_?"

Regina took a deep breath and looked back into longing blue eyes. After a moment that felt too long, she nodded.

"May I kiss you?" Maleficent asked, a range of emotion in her semblance.

"You may," Regina responded.

Maleficent smiled warmly. She gently cradled Regina's face in her hands and slowly brought her lips closer. Regina closed her eyes, lips parting to meet with Maleficent's in a tentative kiss that was too painful, and tears streamed down their faces. Their past hurt too much, but it hurt even more to think of never sharing a kiss in the future.

Regina held tightly onto Maleficent's back, pulling her much closer. Maleficent deepened the kiss, lifting her from the floor and Regina's legs came to embrace her hips as the dragon carried her to the room beside this. Not as feeble as she claimed._ Perspective._

When they disappeared behind the door, Lily turned around to check. "_Ugh,"_ she was mortified by so many things, but right now the thought of her mothers daring to have sex right beside her while believing her asleep, made her nauseous. But it was a great opportunity to do what she had planned to do with Merida: steal from Regina's magical vault. _Easy peasy!_

When Maleficent's lips made it to Regina's neck, she stopped momentarily. Regina tensed. She had forgotten about Emma's mark on her, but it wasn't like Maleficent had demanded they be exclusive, quite the contrary. Maleficent licked over the bruise and made it vanish. "Better," she said before resuming her kissing. She was removing Regina's robe when they heard a loud thud and some glass break.

"Lily!"


End file.
